THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


HEROES    OF 
AMERICAN    HISTORY 

D  E    SOT  O 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

AND    THE    INVASION    OF    FLORIDA 
BY 

FREDERICK    A.    OBER 


HEROES  OF  AMERICAN   HISTORY 


ILLUSTRATED 


HARPER   &   BROTHERS   PUBLISHERS 

NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 

1906 


Copyright,  1906,  by  HAKPKK  &  BROTHERS. 

All  rights  reserved. 
Published  September,  1906. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  THE  MAN  ON  HORSEBACK i 

II.  FERDINAND  AND  ISABELLA 13 

III.  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  NICARAGUA  ....  30 

IV.  DE  SOTO,  THE  AVENGER 46 

V.  THE  REWARD  OF  DEVOTION      ....  60 

VI.  ADELANTADO  AND  GOVERNOR   ....  76 

VII.  THE  LANDING  IN  FLORIDA 89 

VIII.  IN  THE  FLORIDIAN  FORESTS      .     .     .     .  101 

IX.  BATTLES  WITH  THE  INDIANS     .     .     .     .  112 

X.  THE  FIERCE  APALACHEES 129 

XI.  THE  FIRST  WINTER  IN  FLORIDA  .     .     .  142 

XII.  THE  TRACKLESS  WILDERNESS  ....  157 

XIII.  THE  PRINCESS  AND  HER  PEARLS  .     .     .  170 

XIV.  DE  SOTO'S  BEAUTIFUL  CAPTIVE    .     .     .  187 

XV.  THE  GREAT  CHIEF,  TUSCALOOSA    .     .     .  204 

XVI.  DESPERATE  ENCOUNTER  AT  MAUVILA     .  215 

XVII.  DE  SOTO'S  FATAL  DECISION       ....  229 

XVIII.  How  THE  MISSISSIPPI  WAS  CROSSED  .     .  242 

XIX.  A  YEAR  OF  AIMLESS  WANDERING      .     .  256 

XX.  LAST  DAYS  OF  DE  SOTO 273 

INDEX    .  286 


447944 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

FERDINAND    DE    SOTO Frontispiece 

MAP   OP   ANCIENT   FLORIDA,  SHOWING   ROUTE 

OF   DE    SOTO,  1539-1543 Facing  p.       I 

ATAHUALLPA,    INCA    OF    PERU "           62 

EARLY    INDIAN    LIFE 94 

THE    MARCH    THROUGH    THE    FOREST     ...  "         134 

BATTLE    OF    MAUVILA "         226 

DE  SOTO   ON  THE  SHORE   OF  THE   MISSISSIPPI  -  "        248 

BURIAL    OF    DE    SOTO "        276 


AUTHORITIES 

ON 

FERDINAND  DE  SOTO  AND  FLORIDA 

XVlTH  CENTURY.  The  "first  and  best"  of  three 
contemporary  narratives,  describing  the  expedition  of 
De  Soto,  was  printed  in  Portugal,  in  1557,  as: 

The  True  Relation  of  tlie  Fidalgos  of  Elvas.  It  was 
translated  and  reprinted  by  Hakluyt  in  1609,  and  ap- 
peared again  in  1 6 1 1 ,  as  The  Worthy*  and  Famous 
Historic  of  the  Travailles,  Discovery,  and  Conquest  of 
Terra  Florida.  The  latest  edition,  in  English,  was 
published  in  New  York,  1904. 

The  Relation  of  the  Conquest  of  Florida  was  written 
by  Luis  de  Biedma,  the  king's  factor  on  the  expedition, 
as  early  as  1544,  but  did  not  appear  in  print  until  1841. 

Another  personal  narrative  was  that  of  Rodrigo 
Ranjel,  De  Soto's  secretary,  which,  though  written 
in  the  form  of  a  journal,  when  on  the  march,  also  re- 
mained in  manuscript  for  more  than  three  hundred 
years,  and  was  first  issued  in  1855. 

XVIlTH  AND  XVIIlTH  CENTURIES.  La  Florida  del 
Inca,  by  Garcilaso  (or  Garcilasso)  de  la  Vega,  was  de- 
rived from  soldiers  who  were  with  De  Soto  (though  more 
than  forty  years  after  the  return  of  the  expedition),  and 
was  published  first  in  Lisbon,  1605;  in  Madrid,  1722. 
Translated  and  republished,  New  York,  1904. 

The  narratives  of  the  Fidalgo  and  Ranjel,  though 
written  and  published  independently,  are  generally 
corroborative,  and  agree  in  important  particulars  with 
the  "Florida"  of  the  Inca. 

XIXTH  CENTURY.  The  Conquest  of  Florida,  by  Theo- 
dore Irving,  New  York,  1851,  is  based  mainly  upon  the 
Inca's  history,  and  is  quite' complete. 

Buckingham  Smith,  Spanish  scholar  and  indefatiga- 
ble historian,  devoted  much  time  to  original  research, 
and  published  The  Career  of  Hernando  de  Soto,  1864, 
as  well  as  other  valuable  papers. 


FERDINAND  DE  SOTO 


FERDINAND  DE  SOTO 


THE    MAN    ON    HORSEBACK 
1532 

IN  the  doorway  of  his  pavilion  on  the  tented 
hill-slopes  of  Cassamarca  sat  the  Inca  of 
Peru.  Around  him  were  his  nobles  and 
captains  of  companies,  from  whom  he  was 
distinguished,  not  only  by  the  deference 
they  paid  him,  but  by  the  crimson  fringe,  or 
borla,  badge  of  royalty,  with  which  his  brow 
was  banded.  That  memorable  afternoon  of 
November  i5th  was  drawing  to  its  close. 
Inca  Atahuallpa  had  watched  since  morning 
for  the  coming  of  the  strangers,  first  of  the 
white  race  to  invade  the  valley  of  the  sierras 
in  which  he  was  intrenched.  He  had  seen 
them  emerge  from  the  gloomy  defiles  of  the 
mountains,  with  the  sun  shining  on  their 
helmets  and  reflected  from  their  swords 


FERDINAND   DE   SOTO 

and  arquebuses.  He  had  looked  in  awed 
wonder  upon  their  prancing  steeds,  their 
glittering  weapons,  their  flaunting  banners, 
and  had  noted  with  apprehension  their  solid 
formation — that  steel-girdled  phalanx  which 
was  to  prove  a  wedge  to  split  his  empire  in 
twain. 

The  mailed  men  of  Spain  marched  straight 
across  the  valley  and  into  the  city  of  Cassa- 
marca,  but  had  hardly  reached  its  central 
square  ere  their  commander,  grim  and  mer- 
ciless Pizarro,  detached  a  small  band  of 
troopers  as  an  embassy  to  the  Inca,  in  his 
camp  on  the  hill-side  three  miles  distant. 
Again  were  the  eyes  of  Atahuallpa  greeted 
with  a  vision  of  armor-clad  horsemen  as, 
emerging  from  behind  the  city  walls,  they 
swept  across  the  intervening  distance  and 
approached  his  intrenchments.  Conspicu- 
ously in  advance  was  the  leader  of  the 
cavalcade,  a  tall  and  handsome  hidalgo,  en- 
cased from  head  to  foot  in  shining  armor. 
He  was  mounted  upon  a  milk-white  charger 
of  noble  proportions,  which,  when  midway 
the  distance  between  city  and  camp  it  en- 
countered a  stream  twenty  feet  in  width,  took 
it  at  a  bound  and  seemed  to  fly  over  the 
ground.  Soon  the  cavaliers  were  in  front  of 


THE    MAN    ON    HORSEBACK 

the  royal  ruler,  who,  while  astonished  and 
secretly  alarmed,  yet  preserved  an  unmoved 
countenance.  He  directed  his  gaze  to  the 
ground  at  his  feet,  nor  would  he  look  up 
while  the  leader  of  the  troop  delivered  the 
message  with  which  he  had  been  charged  by 
Pizarro.  Out  of  the  corners  of  his  eyes,  how- 
ever, he  could  not  refrain  from  glancing, 
observing  which,  and  probably  piqued  at  the 
Inca's  lack  of  interest,  the  cavalier  resolved 
to  arouse  it. 

He  was,  and  had  been  for  years,  the  "  best 
lance"  in  the  army,  and  by  far  the  finest 
horseman  of  Pizarro 's  cavalry,  so  it  was  from 
pardonable  vanity,  perhaps,  that  he  suddenly 
put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  dashed  down  the 
hill-side  to  the  plain  out-stretched  beneath. 
There,  in  the  waning  light  of  the  departing 
day,  he  put  the  fiery  war-horse  through  a 
variety  of  evolutions,  circling  round  and 
round,  impetuously  charging  an  imaginary 
foe,  and  finally  advancing  at  full  speed  upon 
the  Inca  and  his  nobles.  The  latter  fled  in 
wild  dismay,  but  Atahuallpa  sat  immovable, 
even  when  the  snorting,  panting  charger, 
thrown  suddenly  upon  his  haunches,  launch- 
ed out  with  iron-shod  hoofs  close  to  his  head. 

This  was  the  manner  in  which  Ferdinand 


FERDINAND    DE    SO  TO 

de  Soto  introduced  himself  to  the  Inca  of 
Peru.  For  it  was  he  (though  by  some  ac- 
counts it  was  Hernando  Pizarro)  who,  as  the 
leader  of  that  little  band  of  troopers,  was  the 
first  of  white  men  to  hold  converse  with  the 
renowned  "Child  of  the  Sun."  It  is  said 
that  the  Inca  ordered  such  of  his  nobles  as 
had  fled  at  the  approach  of  the  war-horse  to 
be  executed ;  but  whatever  his  feelings  tow- 
ards them  may  have  been,  for  the  gallant  cav- 
alier he  ever  after  entertained  the  greatest 
respect,  and  this  strange  meeting  was  but 
the  beginning  of  a  friendship  which  lasted 
until  severed  by  his  untimely  death. 

The  conquest  of  Peru  was  achieved,  some 
historians  have  asserted,  not  so  much  by 
Francisco  Pizarro,  the  reputed  commander 
of  the  invading  army,  as  by  Ferdinand  de 
Soto,  captain  of  cavalry,  and  the  adored 
leader  of  an  invincible  band  of  dragoons. 
Certain  it  is  that  he  always  led  the  advance, 
whether  in  reconnoitring  the  enemies'  out- 
posts on  the  skirmish  line,  scouting  the  un- 
known country,  or  in  hand-to-hand  encoun- 
ters. He  had  joined  Pizarro  at  the  island 
of  Puna,  before  he  had  really  landed  on  the 
main,  and  when  in  sore  need  of  reinforce- 
ments. From  the  very  first  he  had  asserted 
4 


THE    MAN    ON    HORSEBACK 

his  independence  of  command,  had  refused 
to  obey  any  orders  that  his  judgment  did  not 
approve,  and  especially  those  which  related 
to  the  plundering  and  massacring  of  the 
natives. 

At  the  time  he  joined  Pizarro,  bringing 
two  ships  well  laden,  and  one  hundred  com- 
panions armed  to  the  teeth,  the  ferocious 
Francisco  had  so  exasperated  the  Peruvians 
by  his  massacres  and  murders,  that  he  and 
his  band  were  about  to  be  exterminated. 
They  would  doubtless  have  paid  the  extreme 
penalty  of  their  evil  deeds  had  it  not  been 
for  the  opportune  arrival  of  De  So  to,  who  not 
only  supplied  the  men  and  munitions  neces- 
sary for  an  invasion  of  the  mainland,  but 
also  dictated  the  course  to  be  pursued. 

While  it  may  not  be  claimed  with  truth 
that  he  was  more  humane  than  the  majority 
of  those  cruel  Spaniards  who  accomplished 
the  conquest  of  Mexico,  Central  and  South 
America,  yet  it  may  be  confidently  asserted 
that  he  had  within  him  the  elements  of  a 
manhood  to  which  most  of  them  were  utter 
strangers.  He  was  bold,  dashing,  and,  above 
all,  high-spirited  and  honorable.  Though  he 
had  come  to  America  with  only  a  sword 
and  a  shield  as  his  fortune,  he  was  a  gentle- 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

man  born,  and  no  one  could  rob  him  of  his 
birthright.  With  that  sword  he  had  fought 
his  way  to  honorable  distinction;  with  that 
shield  he  had  turned  aside  the  arrows  of 
calumny,  by  which  his  enemies  had  assailed 
him  often  in  the  past. 

We  will  not,  at  this  moment,  inquire  into 
the  circumstances  which  induced,  or  rather 
compelled,  his  going  to  the  assistance  of 
Pizarro ;  but  let  it  suffice  to  state  that  he  had 
been  promised  by  the  commander-in-chief 
the  rank  of  lieutenant-general,  or  second  in 
command.  When  he  arrived  at  the  seat  of 
war,  however,  he  found  that  post  occupied 
by  Francisco  Pizarro 's  brother,  Hernando, 
who,  moreover,  very  plainly  intimated  that 
he  intended  to  hold  it  against  all  comers. 

It  was  not  De  Soto's  desire  to  foment  a 
disturbance,  and  demand  a  nominal  authority 
of  which  he  was  the  actual  possessor;  so, 
after  roundly  berating  Pizarro  for  his  bad 
faith,  he  accepted  things  as  they  were  and 
took  his  place  in  the  army  of  invasion.  From 
that  time  forward,  however,  he  treated  the 
Pizarros  with  contempt,  and  though  they 
were  four  in  number  (Francisco,  Hernando, 
Juan,  and  Gonzalo,  besides  a  half-brother, 
Martin  Alcantara),  he  was  always  ready  to 
6 


THE    MAN    ON    HORSEBACK 

fight  them,  one  and  all,  at  the  winking  of  an 
eyelid  or  the  dropping  of  a  glove.  This  they 
well  knew,  and  took  good  care  never  to  offend 
him,  so  that  they  all  departed  their  different 
ways  eventually  (most  of  them  through  meet- 
ing their  death  by  violence)  without  coming 
into  personal  combat. 

Holding,  then,  the  position  of  a  commander 
of  dragoons,  every  one  devoted  to  him  and 
ready  to  fight  for  him  to  the  death,  yet 
nominally  at  the  orders  of  the  commander- 
in-chief,  Ferdinand  de  Soto  made  common 
cause  with  the  invaders,  and  was  foremost 
of  them  all  in  the  conquest  of  the  Inca's 
kingdom.  Hernando  Pizarro  commanded 
another  body  of  dragoons,  similar  in  size  and 
equipment  to  De  Soto's,  and  the  wonder  is 
that  their  followers  did  not  clash  in  conflict. 
That  they  did  not  was  probably  owing  to  the 
fact  that  both  bands  of  marauders  were  en- 
gaged against  the  poor  natives,  whom  they 
despoiled  without  mercy,  and  sometimes  mur- 
dered. 

When  we  speak  of  Ferdinand  de  Soto  as  a 
chivalrous  and  merciful  conqueror,  we  must 
bear  in  mind  that  he  was  in  contrast  with  one 
of  the  most  brutal  and  merciless  of  those 
Spaniards  who  trailed  the  flag  of  their  coun- 
7 


FERDINAND   DE   SOTO 

try  through  blood  and  dishonor,  during  the 
many  years  they  were  permitted  by  Provi- 
dence to  scourge  the  southern  portions  of  our 
hemisphere.  While  in  Peru,  indeed,  he  was 
not  only  comparatively  humane,  but  actually 
so ;  though  when  he  had  an  absolutely  inde- 
pendent command  in  Florida  (as  we  shall  see 
later)  he  hung  and  burned  Indian  caciques, 
cut  off  their  hands,  and  cast  them  to  the 
dogs,  with  that  disregard  for  the  sacredness 
of  human  life  displayed  by  Pizarro  himself. 

Now,  Francisco  Pizarro  was  an  astute 
commander  who,  though  he  had  many  and 
grievous  faults,  could  appreciate  a  good  man 
at  his  full  worth.  He  saw  that  De  Soto  was 
immeasurably  superior  to  his  brothers,  and 
governed  himself  accordingly,  wisely  ignor- 
ing his  contempt  and  insubordination,  and 
at  all  times  treating  him  with  respect.  When, 
therefore,  after  the  mainland  invasion  had 
commenced,  De  Soto,  sent  off  to  scout  the 
country,  remained  many  days  over  the  time 
allowed  him,  and  returned  without  any  ex- 
planation, Pizarro  said  nothing.  He  sent 
him  off  again,  and  this  time  he  was  gone  so 
long,  it  became  common  talk  in  the  army 
that  he  had  at  last  thrown  off  the  command- 
er's yoke  and  revolted.  A  spy  returned,  in 


THE    MAN    ON    HORSEBACK 

fact,  with  information  to  that  effect;  but 
Pizarro  knew  his  man,  and  gave  no  credence 
to  the  report.  Meanwhile,  De  So  to  and  his 
men  were  ranging  the  country  at  will.  They 
were  the  first,  it  is  said,  to  discover  that 
magnificent  highway  of  the  Incas,  which 
connected  the  two  great  capitals,  Quito  and 
Cuzco ;  the  first  to  penetrate  the  sierras  and 
explore  the  wonderful  valleys  abounding  in 
natural  wealth  and  teeming  with  inhabitants. 

Hernando  Pizarro  was  jealous  of  the  free- 
dom and  personal  initiative  allowed  his  rival, 
and  one  day  tauntingly  asked  him  if  he  in- 
tended to  penetrate  the  kingdom  as  far  as 
Cassamarca,  where  the  Inca  was  said  to 
dwell,  and  perchance  form  an  alliance  with 
him.  Ferdinand  flashed  back  at  him  the 
reply  that  he  intended  to  do  as  he  pleased, 
and  he  certainly  was  going  to  visit  the  Inca, 
whether  the  rest  would  keep  him  company 
or  not. 

"As  for  you,  Senor  Hernando — the  only 
one  of  your  family  who  can  boast  a  father ! — 
presume  not  upon  your  connections  to  insult 
me  with  impunity.  Neither  you  nor  your 
brother  can  control  my  movements!" 

Hernando  turned  livid  with  rage,  but  he 
dared  not  reply.  He  reported  the  remark 
9 


FERDINAND    DE   SOTO 

to  Francisco,  who  merely  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders, though  the  allusion  to  his  illegitimacy 
cut  him  to  the  quick. 

"  It  is  well,"  he  finally  said.  "  Let  him  go 
to  see  the  Inca  Atahuallpa,  for  there  may 
be  no  better  way  of  getting  rid  of  him!  For 
it  is  said  that  the  Inca  is  all-powerful,  that  he 
has  warriors  as  the  sands  of  the  sea;  and  if 
this  be  so,  who,  my  dear  brother,  can  be 
better  spared  than  Don  Fernando?" 

"Who,  indeed?"  answered  Hernando,  with 
a  malignant  smile.  "  But  suppose  he  returns 
— that  he  escapes  the  Inca's  warriors — then 
he  gathers  all  the  laurels!" 

"Well,  he  may,  so  we  get  all  the  gold! 
Laurel  leaves  fade  quickly,  do  they  not? 
While  gold,  bright  gold,  can  never  tarnish." 

Pizarro  said  no  more,  for  he  was  a  man  of 
few  words ;  but  he  lost  no  time  in  despatching 
De  Soto  on  his  dangerous  errand.  With  only 
twenty-four  men,  though  the  pick  of  his  com- 
pany, he  set  out.  Knowing  no  fear,  craving 
adventure,  always  anxious  to  be  first  in  a 
fight  and  the  last  to  draw  out,  Ferdinand 
de  Soto  gayly  pranced  away,  as  to  a  tourney. 
He  and  his  men  sought  again  the  great  high- 
way, along  which  they  swept,  resplendent  in 
their  armor,  like  blazing  meteors,  bursting 


THE    MAN    ON    HORSEBACK 

upon  the  astonished  gaze  of  the  terrified 
natives,  only  to  disappear  again,  with  clash 
of  weapons  and  metallic  rattle  of  accoutre- 
ments. 

Such  forays  as  this  were  the  delight  of  De 
So  to,  for  he  had  made  many  in  the  wilds 
of  Nicaragua  previous  to  his  adventure  in 
Peru.  He  had  gained  there  a  rich  experi- 
ence, which  stood  him  in  good  stead  now  in 
his  dealings  with  the  natives.  Indian  nature 
is  much  the  same  the  wide  world  over ;  and 
though  the  natives  of  Nicaragua  were  far 
beneath  those  of  Peru  in  culture,  at  heart 
they  did  not  differ.  Thus  it  was  that  De 
Soto  was  successful,  everywhere  he  went,  in 
gaining  the  confidence  of  the  aborigines ;  thus 
it  was  that,  though  he  met  an  army  ready  to 
fight  him,  gathered  in  a  valley  of  the  moun- 
tains, he  and  his  men  were  finally  summoned 
to  a  banquet,  rather  than  to  battle.  After  it 
was  over,  he  was  about  to  ride  on  again,  when 
he  was  met  by  an  envoy  from  the  Inca  him- 
self, bearing  presents  for  Pizarro,  and  in  all 
honor  could  not  refuse  his  request  to  return 
and  escort  him  to  the  camp  of  the  com- 
mander-in-chief. 

It  was  not  in  accord  with  De  Soto's  desires 
to  return,  for  he  had  set  himself  the  task  of 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

being  the  first  of  his  race  to  meet  and  hold 
an  interview  with  the  then  unknown  Inca. 
So  he  went  back  reluctantly,  and,  if  this  were 
a  narrative  of  Pizarro's  doings,  instead  of 
De  Soto's,  we  might  tell  how  the  envoy  was 
received,  how  the  commander  was  filled, 
first,  with  a  great  desire  to  see  the  owner  of 
the  golden  treasure,  of  which  he  had  sent 
specimens  to  Pizarro,  and  again  with  appre- 
hension at  the  difficulties  in  the  way.  In 
the  end,  the  whole  army  set  out  for  Cassa- 
marca,  with  De  Soto's  company  in  the  lead, 
and  Hernando  Pizarro  bringing  up  the  rear. 


II 

FERDINAND   AND    ISABELLA 
1501-1521 

IT  may  be  presumed  that  before  proceeding 
further  with  the  career  of  Ferdinand  de 
Soto  in  Peru,  the  reader  may  wish  to  learn 
something  of  his  previous  life,  and  how  he 
came  to  the  New  World  in  search  of  advent- 
ure. Acting  upon  this  assumption,  we  will 
turn  back  a  few  leaves  in  his  biography,  and 
investigate  the  scant  records  of  his  early  life 
as  they  exist  in  Spain.  Like  his  great  coun- 
trymen, Pizarro  and  Cort6s,  he  was  a  native 
of  Estremadura,  which  seems  to  have  been 
prolific  in  sturdy  sons  and  daughters.  Un- 
like them,  he  was  born  a  gentleman,  "by  all 
four  descents" — which  means  that  not  only 
his  father  and  mother  were  of  "  gentle  "  birth, 
but  also  their  parents  as  well.  Then  again, 
he  was  born  in  the  noble  town  of  Jeres  de  los 
Caballeros,  anciently  a  seat  of  the  Templars, 
the  ruins  of  whose  castle  may  still  be  traced. 


FERDINAND   DE   SOTO 

Some  have  given  his  birthplace  as  Bar- 
carota,  in  the  same  province  of  Estrema- 
dura;  but  the  majority  of  his  biographers 
agree  on  Jere"s,  or  Xer£s  (pronounced  Hay- 
ras),  which  lies  about  forty  miles  south  of 
Badajoz,  where  resided  a  family,  that  of 
Don  Pedro  Arias  de  Avila,  with  which  he 
became  intimately  connected.  It  was  in 
one  of  the  ruinous  castles  of  Jeres  that  Fer- 
dinand de  Soto  was  born ;  but  so  obscure  was 
his  family  at  that  time,  that  no  exact  record 
was  kept  of  the  occurrence.  The  year,  how- 
ever, was  probably  1500,  or  1501,  and  it  is 
generally  agreed  that  he  made  his  advent 
with  the  sixteenth  century. 

Though  his  family  belonged  to  the  hidal- 
guia,  or  nobility,  it  must  have  been  quite 
poor,  for  on  the  death  of  his  parents,  which 
occurred  when  he  was  a  youth,  Ferdinand 
was  thrown  upon  the  world.  Fortunately 
for  him,  he  had  won  the  regard  of  Don  Pedro 
de  Avila,  the  Count  of  Punorostro,  who  oc- 
cupied one  of  the  several  castles  for  which 
ancient  Badajoz  is  famous.  This  nobleman 
invited  him  to  make  his  home  at  Badajoz,  and 
is  said  to  have  supported  him  at  the  uni- 
versity of  Salamanca  for  a  number  of  years, 
where  he  acquired  some  knowledge  of  books, 


FERDINAND   AND    ISABELLA 

but  not  enough  to  make  him  eligible  for  a 
profession.  As  a  member  of  the  Spanish  no- 
bility, indeed,  it  was  not  necessary  that  he 
should  be  proficient  in  much  besides  horse- 
manship, sword-play,  fencing,  and  the  like, 
and  in  these  he  led  all  his  young  companions. 
Possessing  a  handsome  face,  muscular  limbs, 
and  a  shapely  body,  combined  with  a  happy 
disposition  and  gallant  demeanor,  he  became 
a  great  favorite  at  the  tourney,  where  he  won 
the  admiration  of  the  fair  sex,  and  took 
prizes  in  every  competitive  encounter  with 
the  caballeros.  There  was  no  other  horseman 
like  him  in  all  Estremadura,  neither  a  gallant 
who  was  so  reckless  and  jovial  with  the 
cavaliers,  but  at  the  same  time  held  in  such 
high  repute  by  the  ladies. 

Now,  Don  Pedro  had  a  family,  comprising 
several  sons  and  daughters,  as  well  as  a  wife 
who  was  so  nearly  related  to  royalty  that  she 
entertained  the  highest  hopes  of  great  alli- 
ances for  her  children.  She  was,  in  fact,  a 
niece  of  the  Marchioness  of  Moya,  that  be- 
loved friend  and  constant  companion  of 
Queen  Isabella  of  Spain,  who  was  with  her 
when  she  died,  and  who  nearly  lost  her  life 
by  an  assassin's  dagger  intended  for  her 
royal  mistress.  The  Marchioness  of  Moya, 
15 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

it  may  be  recalled,  has  the  credit  of  inclining 
Queen  Isabella's  ear  to  the  story  told  by 
Columbus  when  he  went  begging  for  some 
one  to  send  him  out  to  find  a  world.  Her 
niece,  the  Dona  Isabel,  was  also  a  favorite 
at  court,  at  which,  as  soon  as  they  became 
old  enough,  she  presented  her  daughters,  two 
of  whom  were  noted  for  their  beauty.  The 
most  promising  of  them  all  was  the  second 
daughter,  named  after  her  mother,  Isabel  de 
Bobadilla,  and  whom  her  parents  had  de- 
cided should  marry  no  less  than  a  prince  of 
the  royal  blood.  They  had,  in  truth,  picked 
out  the  very  prince  she  should  espouse ;  but, 
alas  for  their  plans !  Isabel  fell  in  love  with 
Ferdinand  de  Soto. 

Ferdinand,  of  course,  had  fallen  in  love 
with  her ;  but  being  only  a  poor  cavalier,  and 
regarded  in  the  light  of  a  dependant  of  the 
family,  with  no  fortune  but  his  sword,  and 
that,  perhaps,  a  borrowed  one,  he  was  a  long 
time  in  declaring  his  affection.  This  should 
be  said  to  his  honor ;  but  such  a  condition  of 
things  could  not  exist  forever,  it  must  be 
admitted,  and  the  day  came  when  each  be- 
came acquainted  with  the  affection  of  the 
other.  And,  what  was  very  bad  for  them, 
Don  Pedro  became  acquainted  with  it  also! 
16 


FERDINAND   AND   ISABELLA 

He  was  away  when  the  affair  first  developed 
so  far  that  Ferdinand  first  spoke  of  his  love, 
having  sought  and  obtained  the  position  of 
governor  of  Darien.  It  was  a  position  which 
the  king  had  no  right  to  give  him,  as  it  be- 
longed really  to  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa,  who 
had  fought  the  natives  of  Darien,  subdued 
the  province,  and  also  discovered  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  before  Don  Pedro  received  his  ap- 
pointment. 

But  "might  was  right"  with  the  king 
and  Don  Pedro,  and  the  latter  sailed  from 
Spain  in  the  year  1514  to  take  possession 
of  his  province.  What  he  did  there  has 
a  bearing  on  the  fortunes  of  De  Soto,  else  it 
would  not  be  detailed  in  this  connection ;  but 
it  was  of  vastly  greater  consequence  to  poor 
Balboa,  who  lost,  not  only  all  his  hard- 
earned  possessions,  but  his  head  as  well, 
which  Don  Pedro  caused  to  be  cut  off  in 
1517.  From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  Fer- 
dinand de  Soto's  prospective  father-in-law 
was  not  the  sort  of  man  to  be  trifled  with. 
In  very  truth,  he  was  one  of  the  most  cruel 
and  tyrannical  of  all  those  Spaniards  who 
went  out  to  conquer  the  natives  of  the  New 
World.  Not  alone  that,  but  he  was  peculiar- 
ly ferocious  in  his  cruelty,  taking  delight  in 


FERDINAND   DE   SOTO 

the  infliction  of  pain  and  even  torture  upon 
the  innocent  natives  of  his  territory. 

Imagine,  then,  the  reception  he  gave  poor 
Ferdinand  when,  the  old  tyrant  having  re- 
turned to  Spain,  the  young  man  threw  him- 
self at  his  feet  and  announced  his  love  for 
Isabel.  At  first  he  was  speechless  from 
indignation,  then,  in  a  voice  trembling  with 
passion,  he  bellowed:  "What?  You — pov- 
erty-stricken wretch  that  you  are,  one  who 
has  sat  at  my  table  and  lived  in  my  castle 
for  years!  You,  dastard,  venture  to  aspire 
to  the  hand  of  the  daughter  of  Don  Pedro 
Arias  de  Avila,  Count  of  Punorostro,  an  hi- 
dalgo of  ancient  lineage,  friend  of  the  king 
and  the  queen?  You  must  be  mad!  Mad, 
I  say!  Do  you  hear?  Begone,  ingrate,  and 
never  let  me  see  thy  face  again!" 

The  young  man  thought  it  prudent  to 
retire,  not  only  from  the  immediate  presence 
of  Don  Pedro,  but  from  the  castle ;  but  be- 
fore he  departed  from  Badajoz  he  somehow 
secured  a  final  interview  with  his  beloved. 
She  appeared  at  the  grated  window  of  her 
room,  which  overlooked  a  garden,  and  he, 
standing  beneath,  amid  the  myrtles  and  the 
rose-trees,  poured  forth  his  woes.  She  lis- 
tened in  silence,  then  said,  in  sorrowful  ac- 
18 


FERDINAND    AND    ISABELLA 

cents:  "Ferdinand,  it  is  true,  you  cannot  re- 
main here  longer.  My  father  is  a  cruel  man, 
and  he  never  forgives !  He  thinks  you  have 
betrayed  a  trust,  that  you  have  committed  a 
crime,  in  loving  me." 

"But  I  do  love  you,  Isabel.  I  will  go 
away,  but  I  shall  return ;  and  you — you  will 
be  true  to  me?" 

"  Always,  Ferdinand.  Always.  But  do 
not  allow  my  father  to  get  you  in  his  power. 
Remember  what  he  did  to  Vasco  Nunez 
[Balboa].  Did  he  not  behead  him?  And 
for  what?  Merely  because  he  aspired  too 
greatly.  And — and  he  was  betrothed  to  my 
sister,  too!  Ah  me,  that  I  should  be  com- 
pelled to  say  it — but  my  father  is  a  vengeful 
man!" 

It  was  true,  as  Isabel  had  said,  that  in 
order  to  get  the  gallant  Balboa  completely 
in  his  power,  Don  Pedro  had  pledged  him  his 
eldest  daughter  in  marriage,  then  had  turned 
and  slain  him.  Ferdinand  pressed  her  to 
elope  with  him,  as  soon  as  her  father  should 
return  to  Darien;  but  she  had  too  high  a 
sense  of  honor  and  of  her  obligations  to  her 
family  to  consent. 

"No,"  she  mournfully  replied,  "it  cannot 
be.  He  will  return;  but  he  will  not  leave 
19 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

you  here  to  plot  in  his  absence.  He  is  too 
wise  for  that.  And,  being  himself  deceitful, 
he  will  not  trust  me,  either.  Ferdinand,  he 
will  compel  you  to  go  with  him,  and — and  I 
see  no  way  other  than  that  you  must  go." 

"Compel!"  replied  De  Soto,  scornfully. 
"Isabel,  no  man  hath  ever  compelled  me 
yet.  And  again,  he  has  driven  me  from 
him." 

"Yes,  but  that  was  when  in  a  rage.  He 
will  recall  you,  Ferdinand,  and  (though  I 
warn  you  to  beware  of  his  friendship) ,  it  may 
be,  that  way  your  fortune  lies,  beloved." 

"Ah,  that  would  impel  me,"  declared  De 
Soto,  warmly.  "  If  he  does  invite  me,  surely 
I  will  go  to  that  land  of  gold,  where  quickly 
I  may  win  a  fortune,  perchance  fame.  Then 
I  will  return,  Isabel." 

"And  I  shall  await  you,  Ferdinand,  even 
through  long  years!" 

This  was  the  purport  of  their  conversation, 
in  the  last  meeting  between  Ferdinand  and 
Isabel,  and  it  fell  out  as  she  had  predicted. 
Informed  by  her  governess  that  Isabel's 
heart  was  in  the  keeping  of  the  young  cava- 
lier, Don  Pedro  at  first  stormed  and  raged, 
declaring  that  she  should  die  rather  than 
become  the  bride  of  an  impecunious  noble- 


FERDINAND    AND    ISABELLA 

man  like  De  Soto.  Then,  as  he  grew  calmer, 
he  took  counsel  with  himself  and  dissembled. 
He  sent  for  Ferdinand  and  asked  him  if  he 
would  accept  a  captain's  commission  in  the 
expedition  he  was  then  preparing  for  Darien. 
He  pictured  the  land  of  promise,  rich  in  vast 
possibilities  for  the  young  and  ardent  ad- 
venturer; he  assured  him  that  wealth  and 
distinction  awaited  him  in  that  land,  where, 
as  the  favorite  of  the  governor,  he  would  be 
rapidly  promoted. 

"  Enough,  Don  Pedro,"  exclaimed  De  Soto. 
"  I  will  serve  you  faithfully ;  but  I  ask  no  fa- 
vors, only  an  opportunity  for  winning  my 
way  with  my  sword." 

"  That  you  shall  have,"  replied  Don  Pedro. 
"  Darien  is  the  land  of  opportunities,  and  you 
may  carve  out  an  empire.  Sooth,  there  will 
be  blood  enough  to  spill,  and  gold  enough 
for  all!" 

Don  Pedro  was  as  good  as  his  word.  Over- 
joyed to  have  De  Soto  in  his  power,  and 
relieved  at  being  able  to  part  him  so  easily 
from  his  daughter,  he  advanced  the  money 
for  a  splendid  outfit,  and  gave  him  a  com- 
mission as  captain  of  a  troop.  They  sailed 
for  Darien  in  the  year  1519,  with  a  gallant 
company  of  fortune -seekers,  most  of  whom 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

"found  their  graves  in  the  land  whither 
they  had  gone  to  dig  for  gold." 

As  Ferdinand  was  about  embarking,  he 
was  handed  a  note  from  Isabel,  containing 
two  lines,  merely:  "Dearest,  remember  my 
promise,  and  remember  my  warning!"  Her 
promise  —  to  remain  faithful  always;  her 
warning — against  the  treachery  of  her  own 
father. 

Ferdinand  de  So  to  pondered  her  words, 
and  took  heed.  That  he  escaped  the  snares 
set  for  him  by  Don  Pedro,  was  owing  to 
the  watchfulness  of  Isabel;  that  he  held  to 
higher  aims  and  loftier  purposes  than  his 
companion  conquistadores,  was  because  of  his 
love  for  her  and  the  consciousness  that  in 
the  end  she  was  to  be  his  reward. 

He  was  noble  by  nature ;  but  many  noble 
natures  became  perverted  in  that  prolonged 
hunt  for  gold;  many  a  man  of  honorable 
instincts  became  a  monster  of  cruelty  when 
pitted  against  the  savages  of  Darien  and 
Panama.  It  was,  however,  the  universal 
testimony  of  De  Soto's  companions  that  he 
was  constantly  humane  to  the  unfortunate 
Indians  whom  he  was  ordered  by  Don  Pedro 
to  torture  or  destroy.  To  women  and  chil- 
dren, especially,  he  was  tender  and  consid- 

22 


FERDINAND    AND    ISABELLA 

erate;  thus  many  a  poor  wretch  was  saved 
from  suffering  through  the  love  that  existed 
between  Isabel  de  Bobadilla  and  Ferdinand 
de  Soto! 

Old  Don  Pedro,  or  "Pedrarias,"  as  he  was 
sometimes  called,  dissembled  well;  but  his 
settled  purpose,  which  was  to  destroy  his 
daughter's  suitor  at  the  earliest  opportunity, 
was  perfectly  apparent  to  De  Soto.  It  was 
no  secret,  even,  among  the  men  of  his  com- 
mand, who,  seeing  the  unequal  fight  that 
was  being  carried  on,  were  the  closer  drawn 
to  him,  through  sympathy.  They  soon  be- 
came his  pronounced  partisans,  and  would 
follow  him  through  fire,  if  need  be,  when  he 
ordered  them.  Though  never  a  word  was 
spoken  as  to  this  between  the  captain  and 
his  men,  the  latter  frequently  foiled  Pedrarias 
in  his  efforts  to  find  a  joint  in  De  Soto's 
armor,  through  which  he  might  thrust  a  poi- 
soned weapon. 

Ferdinand  himself,  while  ever  alert,  al- 
ways treated  Don  Pedro  with  the  deference 
due  to  a  benefactor,  and  the  father  of  one 
whom  he  loved  better  than  his  life.  As 
time  went  by,  and  Pedrarias  found  himself 
continually  foiled  in  his  evil  purpose,  he 
became  nearly  insane  with  rage.  Indeed,  it 
23 


FERDINAND   DE   SOTO 

is  doubtful  if  he  were  not  insane  during  his 
entire  term  as  governor  of  Darien  and  Nica- 
ragua. For  what  man  in  his  right  mind 
would  order,  as  he  did  often  and  again, 
the  extermination  of  people  who  had  never 
offended,  save  by  withholding  from  him  the 
gold  they  found  in  the  forest,  and  which  was 
theirs  by  right?  And  it  was  almost  in- 
variably Captain  de  Soto's  troop  of  horse- 
men that  was  ordered  on  this  disgusting 
service.  Thus  a  twofold  object  was  attained 
by  crafty  Pedrarias:  the  extermination  of 
the  natives,  and  the  decimation  of  the  de- 
tested troop. 

As  he  did  not  accompany  the  troops  on 
their  forays,  he  was  not  aware,  at  first,  that 
his  orders  were  disobeyed,  and  that  the  poor 
natives  were  oftener  warned  of  an  attack 
than  sufferers  from  it.  At  last,  the  suspicious 
old  governor  sent  out  a  creature  of  his  com- 
pany to  spy  upon  the  doings  of  De  Soto  in  the 
field,  and  this  man  reported  the  true  con- 
dition of  affairs.  When  he  heard  it,  Don 
Pedro  nearly  choked  with  rage.  "Ho!"  he 
exclaimed.  "That  is  it!  Instead  of  putting 
those  red  scoundrels  to  the  sword,  and  tear- 
ing them  to  pieces  with  the  dogs,  he  merely 
sacks  their  dwellings  and  then  allows  them 
24 


FERDINAND    AND    ISABELLA 

to  return.  Little  wonder  that  I  have  not 
received  gold  enough,  in  the  months  just 
past,  to  pay  the  expenses  of  my  household ! 

"Now,  go  you,  Captain  Perez,  and  tell 
that  squeamish  son  of  a  nobody,  Fernan 
So  to,  that  my  orders  are  for  all  villages  to  be 
razed,  or  burned  to  the  ground,  and  for  all 
Indians  to  be  killed.  He  is  not  to  spare  a 
single  one,  remember,  and  you  are  to  see  that 
he  does  as  I  command." 

This  Captain  Perez  was  scarcely  less  fe- 
rocious than  Pedrarias  himself — he  could  not 
be  more  so  —  and,  moreover,  he  hated  De 
Soto  for  his  popularity.  So  he  gladly  under- 
took the  errand  that  was  to  result  in  his 
humiliation ;  but  when  he  delivered  the  orders 
he  met  with  such  a  reception  that  he  returned 
like  a  whipped  cur  to  his  master.  He  found 
De  Soto  sitting  easily  on  his  horse,  superin- 
tending the  collecting  of  tribute  from  some 
Indians  of  a  forest  hamlet,  who  were  only  too 
glad  to  escape  with  their  lives,  and  were 
bringing  him  all  their  portable  possessions. 

He  heard  Perez  through,  disdainfully  and 
in  silence,  then  replied:  "My  life  and  my 
services  are,  of  course,  always  at  my  superi- 
or's commands,  and  I  shall  do  his  bidding — so 
long  as  I  can  do  so  without  besmirching  my 
25 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

character  as  a  Spanish  cavalier.  But  in  this 
instance,  Captain  Perez,  it  would  seem  that 
the  service  to  be  performed  could  more 
fittingly  be  done  by  yourself!  I  am  sur- 
prised at  Don  Pedro's  lack  of  discrimination, 
and  this,  if  you  like,  you  may  tell  him  from 
me." 

This  was  the  reply,  in  substance,  which 
Perez  carried  back  to  Pedrarias,  and,  as  the 
ferocious  captain  had  the  reputation  of  being 
in  his  element  while  massacring  unarmed 
Indians  and  burning  their  dwellings,  he  took 
it  as  an  insult.  In  this  view  he  was  sup- 
ported by  Pedrarias,  who  told  him,  in  ef- 
fect, that  were  he  a  younger  man,  this  in- 
solence should  not  go  unpunished.  "  But, 
alas!"  he  exclaimed,  smiling  significantly,  "I 
am  no  longer  able  to  hold  my  own  on  the 
field  of  honor.  Old  age  has  palsied  my  arm, 
and  perhaps,  also,  it  has  enfeebled  my  con- 
stitution, for  I  seem  to  lack  courage  to  meet 
this  insolent  young  man  and  chastise  him  as 
he  deserves!" 

This  hint  was  not  lost  upon  Perez,  who, 
as  Pedrarias  knew,  of  course,  was  a  noted 
duellist.  He  had  already  killed  several  men 
and  had  never,  himself,  been  harmed.  A 
challenge  was  promptly  sent  to  De  Soto  and 
26 


FERDINAND    AND    ISABELLA 

as  promptly  accepted.  Feeling  assured  that 
the  young  man's  doom  was  surely  sealed, 
Pedrarias  was  in  high  glee,  and  issued  invi- 
tations to  all  the  officials  and  dignitaries  of 
his  capital,  which  was  then  at  Panama,  the 
city  he  had  founded. 

A  noted  and  numerous  assemblage  wit- 
nessed the  combat,  which  took  place  on  the 
plain  outside  the  city.  Though  each  man 
had  his  partisans,  and  it  was  with  difficulty 
that  Ferdinand  restrained  his  troopers  from 
assaulting  his  opponents,  fair  play  was  given, 
and  the  fight  proceeded  according  to  the 
"code  of  honor."  It  was  to  be  a  sword- 
fight,  and  to  the  death.  As  the  combatants 
stepped  into  the  arena,  a  murmur  of  admira- 
tion went  around  the  throng,  chiefly  on  ac- 
count of  De  Soto's  gallant  appearance  and 
his  youth,  as  contrasted  with  the  savage  as- 
pect of  his  grizzled  opponent. 

Ferdinand  was  the  embodiment  of  Spanish 
chivalry,  in  the  eyes  of  the  dames  and  gentle- 
men who  loved  Spain  for  her  glorious  tradi- 
tions. He  seemed  a  typical  knight  -  errant, 
clad  as  he  was  in  shining  armor,  tall,  erect, 
confident  of  bearing,  and  sweeping  the  as- 
semblage with  his  flashing  glances.  He  re- 
minded the  veterans  of  the  Moorish  war 
27 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

(who,  under  King  Ferdinand,  had  driven  the 
Moslems  from  Andalusia)  of  their  knightly 
defender,  Garcilaso,  when  he  went  forth  to 
meet  the  Moor  in  mortal  combat  on  the 
vega  of  Granada. 

Many  a  prayer  was  muttered  for  his  suc- 
cess, and  many  a  scowling  glance  was  cast 
at  old  Pedrarias,  who,  crafty  dissembler 
that  he  was,  could  not  conceal  his  satisfac- 
tion. The  combat  lasted  two  long  hours, 
and  its  various  stages  might  have  been 
followed  by  scanning  the  features  of  Don 
Pedro,  who  cried  out  in  delight  when  Ferdi- 
nand received  a  scratch,  and  growled  like  a 
lion  when  his  champion  seemed  in  danger. 

As  Ferdinand  received  several  slight 
wounds  during  the  protracted  conflict,  while 
his  opponent  remained  untouched,  Pedrarias 
seemed  to  have  no  doubt  as  to  the  issue.  The 
old  soldier  forced  the  fighting  from  the  first, 
Ferdinand  remaining  mostly  on  the  defensive, 
having  all  he  could  do  to  parry  the  lightning- 
like  blows  and  thrusts  that  were  rained  upon 
him.  But,  through  it  all,  he  kept  himself 
cool  and  collected,  never  once  losing  temper 
nor  allowing  himself  to  be  taken  off  his  guard. 

From  the  very  fact  that  the  fierce  Perez  had 
forced  the  fighting,  he  had,  naturally,  ex- 
28 


FERDINAND    AND    ISABELLA 

pended  his  strength  in  doing  so,  while  Ferdi- 
nand had  held  his  in  reserve.  As  the  old 
duellist's  thrusts  became  feebler,  those  of  his 
adversary  became  more  forceful,  until  at  last 
the  veteran  was  compelled  to  act  wholly  on 
the  defensive.  He  was  finally  forced  upon 
his  knees,  while,  with  a  rapid  upward  cut, 
Ferdinand  gashed  his  sword  -  hand  at  the 
wrist.  His  weapon  fell  to  the  ground, 
whither,  in  attempting  to  recover  it,  Perez 
swiftly  followed.  He  was  then  completely 
at  the  mercy  of  Ferdinand,  who,  planting  a 
foot  upon  his  breast,  and  holding  the  point 
of  his  sword  at  his  throat,  demanded  sub- 
mission. A  single  word  would  have  saved 
the  surly  veteran's  life,  but,  game  to  the  last, 
he  refused  to  utter  it. 

"Very  well,"  exclaimed  the  magnanimous 
victor.  "Then  I  give  back  to  you  a  life 
not  worth  the  taking,  since  it  is  not  worth  the 
asking."  He  removed  his  foot,  and,  care- 
fully wiping  his  sword,  returned  it  to  its 
scabbard. 


Ill 

IN   THE    WILDS    OF   NICARAGUA 
1521-1524 

IMAGINE  the  rage  and  confusion  of  Pedra- 
Irias  at  beholding  the  man  whom  he  per- 
sisted in  regarding  as  his  enemy  the  cen- 
tre of  a  tumultuous  and  admiring  throng. 
But  he  fumed  and  threatened  to  no  purpose, 
for  Ferdinand  de  Soto  was  the  hero  of  the 
hour,  and  thenceforth  the  darling  of  the 
army.  His  delighted  troopers  lifted  him 
upon  their  shoulders,  all  clad  in  weighty 
armor  as  he  was,  and  carried  him  around  the 
field,  with  shouts  of  triumph. 

Don  Pedro  was  compelled  to  overlook 
these  proceedings,  and,  like  the  fabled  Giant 
Despair  at  the  cave's  mouth,  gnawed  his 
nails  with  impotent  vexation.  As  for  the 
crestfallen  duellist,  he  slipped  out  of  sight  as 
soon  as  possible,  and  took  the  first  ship  for 
Spain.  Thus  the  Isthmus  was  well  rid  of  one 
villain;  and  if  old  Pedrarias  had  gone  with 
3° 


IN    THE    WILDS    OF    NICARAGUA 

him,  there  would  have  been  few,  if  any, 
mourners  over  his  absence  in  Panama.  Still, 
the  latter  continued  his  depredations  as 
before,  and  he  by  no  means  gave  up  the  idea 
of  making  way  with  Ferdinand,  though  he 
had  not  the  temerity  to  send  him  to  the 
scaffold  nor  the  courage  to  assassinate  him 
openly.  He  could  provoke  nobody  to  chal- 
lenge him  a  second  time,  for,  aside  from  the 
fact  that  nearly  everybody  was  his  friend, 
he  had  proved  himself  the  most  accomplished 
swordsman  in  the  army. 

Not  very  far  from  Panama  lay  the  rich 
region  of  Veragua,  populous  with  Indians  and 
abounding  in  gold.  This  region  was  invaded, 
by  the  orders  of  Don  Pedro,  and  swept  with 
fire  and  sword.  Troops  of  blood-hounds  ac- 
companied the  Spaniards,  and  the  terrible 
outrages  committed  by  man  and  beast  com- 
bined at  last  aroused  the  resentment  of  a 
powerful  chief  named  Uracca,  who  soon 
showed  the  ruthless  invaders  of  what  he  was 
capable.  He  assembled  a  vast  army  of 
savages,  who,  though  half -clothed  in  skins, 
or  entirely  naked,  were  skilled  in  the  use 
of  the  poisoned  arrow,  and  were  otherwise 
armed  with  war  -  clubs,  javelins,  and  spears 
made  of  hardened  wood  tipped  with  copper. 
31 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

Pedrarias  sent  out  his  army  in  two  divisions 
one  in  ships  along  the  coast,  and  commanded 
by  a  lawyer  named  Espinosa;  the  other  by 
land,  under  Francisco  Pizarro,  with  orders  to 
form  a  junction  with  the  first  division  when 
it  should  reach  and  land  in  the  enemies' 
country.  As  there  were  no  roads,  or  even 
open  trails,  in  that  wild  land,  Pizarro's  divis- 
ion was  far  behind  Espinosa 's  in  reaching 
the  appointed  place  of  rendezvous.  With- 
out awaiting  the  arrival  of  Pizarro,  Espinosa 
disembarked  his  soldiers  in  a  sheltered  harbor 
and  established  a  camp  in  a  valley  surround- 
ed by  forest. 

Unknown  to  Espinosa,  Chief  Uracca  him- 
self was  guiding  the  movements  of  the 
Indians.  His  scouts  and  spies  had  brought 
him  exact  information  of  the  Spaniards' 
forces,  and  his  most  expert  warriors  had  en- 
ticed them  into  the  forest,  where  thousands 
of  savages  lay  in  ambush.  Then,  when  he 
had  drawn  his  foes  into  a  deep  and  gloomy 
gorge,  whence  it  was  impossible  for  them  to 
escape  without  great  loss,  Uracca  shouted 
the  piercing  war-whoop.  Suddenly,  as  if 
descended  from  the  tops  of  the  giant  trees 
that  towered  above  them,  .hundreds  of 
Indians  appeared,  and  from  their  powerful 
32 


IN    THE   WILDS    OF   NICARAGUA 

bows  launched  a  shower  of  poisoned  arrows. 
Few  of  these  arrows  pierced  the  armor  in 
which  most  of  the  Spaniards  were  encased, 
but  such  as  were  not  thus  protected  were 
doomed  to  an  agonizing  death.  They  fell 
by  scores,  and  many  who  escaped  the  arrows 
were  trampled  upon  by  their  companions 
in  the  tumult  of  retreat.  Too  late,  then, 
Espinosa  saw  that  he  had  been  entrapped, 
and  wished  he  had  waited  for  Pizarro,  whose 
greater  experience  might  have  prevented  this 
disaster. 

The  Spaniards  were  routed,  and,  in  a  panic, 
attempted  to  withdraw  from  their  perilous 
position ;  but  the  wary  Uracca  had  closed  in 
behind  them  with  a  thousand  warriors,  and 
all  hope  of  escape  seemed  to  be  vain.  Mass- 
ing in  phalanx,  so  far  as  the  broken  nature 
of  the  ground  would  permit,  the  Spaniards 
forced  a  passage  to  the  verge  of  the  valley  in 
which  they  had  encamped;  but  here  they 
were  halted  by  the  horde  of  savages  re- 
solved upon  their  extermination. 

Their  destruction  seemed  assured,  when, 
just  as  the  sun  was  sinking  behind  the  hills, 
they  observed  a  great  commotion  in  the 
ranks  of  their  opponents.  It  appeared  as  if 
they  were  being  attacked  in  the  rear,  and 
33 


FERDINAND   DE   SOTO 

such,  indeed,  was  the  case,  for  soon  the 
despairing  Spaniards  heard  the  well-known 
war-cry,  "Santiago!  Santiago!"  and  upon 
their  vision  burst  a  band  of  horsemen,  led  by 
Ferdinand  de  So  to.  He  and  his  dragoons 
had  formed  a  part  of  Pizarro's  company,  and, 
being  in  the  van,  were  the  first  to  hear  the 
sound  of  conflict  and  the  first  to  hurry  to  the 
rescue.  They  arrived,  as  we  have  seen,  just 
in  time  to  save  their  comrades  from  total 
destruction,  for  at  sight  of  their  horses,  and 
on  receiving  their  impetuous  charge,  the 
Indians  fled  in  wild  terror.  They  had  felt 
sure  of  Espinosa's  soldiers;  but  the  horses 
and  their  riders,  impervious  in  their  armor  of 
steel,  were  too  powerful  for  them  to  resist. 
Uracca  tried  to  rally  them  again  to  the  attack, 
and  they  returned,  like  a  wave  rolling  upon 
the  strand ;  but  De  Soto  quickly  formed  his 
battalion  as  a  protection  to  the  rear-guard, 
charging  upon  the  Indians  when  they  ap- 
proached too  closely,  and  a  safe  retreat  was 
thus  effected. 

Pizarro  arrived  in  time  to  establish  a  camp 
that  night,  but,  famished  and  exhausted  as 
they  were,  the  Spaniards  resolved  upon  a 
retreat  to  the  ships,  which  was  finally  effect- 
ed after  midnight,  De  Soto  and  his  troop- 
34 


IN    THE    WILDS    OF    NICARAGUA 

ers  holding  the  desperate  savages  at  bay. 
They  safely  embarked,  and,  sailing  down  the 
coast,  at  quite  a  distance  from  the  scene  of 
their  disgraceful  defeat  came  upon  an  Ind- 
ian village.  Nearly  all  the  men  were  with 
Uracca  in  the  mountains,  but  the  town  was 
filled  with  defenceless  women  and  children, 
whom  Espinosa  surrounded  with  his  sol- 
diers, intending  to  carry  them  away  as 
slaves. 

This  proceeding  was  resented  by  De  So  to, 
who  denounced  the  lawyer -commander  as  a 
coward,  and  threatened  to  ride  away  with 
his  entire  troop  if  he  still  persisted  in  his  in- 
tention. Espinosa,  on  his  part,  called  De 
Soto  a  mutineer,  and  a  traitor  to  the  gov- 
ernor, to  whom  he  would  promptly  report  his 
conduct.  The  answer  the  young  captain 
made  to  this  threat  was  to  assemble  his  men, 
and  then,  riding  to  Espinosa 's  tent,  repeat 
his  demand  for  the  unconditional  release  of 
the  prisoners. 

"You  may  do  as  you  please  respecting 
making  a  report  to  Don  Pedro,"  he  said  to 
Espinosa ;  "  but  I  am  not  under  your  orders, 
neither  am  I  disposed  to  assist  you  in  the 
event  that  you  are  attacked  by  the  warriors 
of  Uracca.  In  a  word,  release  these  women 
35 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

and  children  or  I  and  my  men  will  ride 
away.  Now,  choose  you,  and  at  once!" 

It  was  evident  to  Espinosa  that  the  Indian 
chief  was  sending  out  runners  to  assemble 
his  warriors  for  another  attack,  and  as  his 
force  was  already  weakened  by  the  great 
losses  sustained,  he  was  compelled  to  comply 
with  De  Soto's  demand.  As  further  retreat 
was  impracticable,  it  was  resolved  to  send 
to  Panama  for  supplies  and  reinforcements, 
which  were  absolutely  necessary  to  save  the 
little  army  and  hold  what  small  portion  of 
territory  had  been  conquered.  De  Soto 
volunteered  to  go  to  Panama,  and  rode  the 
entire  distance  through  the  forests,  then 
swarming  with  hostile  Indians,  accompanied 
only  by  a  single  trooper,  like  himself  a  superb 
horseman  and  intrepid  spirit.  During  his 
absence,  Chief  Uracca  entirely  surrounded 
Espinosa's  encampment,  effectually  cutting 
off  all  supplies,  and  reducing  the  beleaguered 
Spaniards  to  a  diet  of  roots  and  herbs. 

Returning  as  rapidly  as  possible,  De  Soto 
broke  through  the  line  of  investment,  and 
threw  a  small  reinforcement  into  the  camp; 
then,  taking  command  of  his  dragoons,  he 
foraged  the  surrounding  country  with  such 
success  that  the  army  was  enabled  to  subsist 
36 


IN   THE   WILDS   OF   NICARAGUA 

until  assistance  arrived  from  Panama,  in  the 
shape  of  more  than  four  hundred  men  com- 
manded by  Don  Pedro  himself.  Altogether, 
when  he  arrived,  the  army  amounted  to  more 
than  five  hundred,  counting  new  adventurers 
and  volunteers.  High  hopes  were  entertain- 
ed that  with  this  force  Veragua  could  be  over- 
run and  subdued;  but  they  still  had  Chief 
Uracca  to  reckon  with,  and  he  had  collected 
a  larger  army  of  warriors  than  ever  before. 

The  two  forces  came  into  collision  on  the 
banks  of  a  deep  and  rapid  river,  in  attempt- 
ing to  cross  which  the  Spaniards  were  assailed 
by  such  a  storm  of  javelins  and  poisoned 
arrows  that  they  wavered,  then  fell  back, 
then  broke  into  headlong  flight.  Not  even 
the  impassioned  pleadings  of  Don  Pedro  could 
stop  them;  and,  in  fact,  he  himself  was  com- 
pelled to  ride  from  the  field  in  a  hurry  to 
avoid  being  made  a  prisoner.  Owing  to  the 
efforts  of  De  Soto  and  Pizarro,  the  men  were 
rallied  on  open  ground  and  made  a  stand, 
committing  great  havoc  in  the  savage  ranks 
with  their  ordnance;  but  they  could  not  be 
induced  to  pursue  the  Indians  into  the  for- 
ests again. 

Don  Pedro  now  saw  what  warfare  against 
Uracca  was  like,  and  could  understand  how 
4  37 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

his  captains  had  been,  one  after  the  other, 
driven  with  slaughter  from  the  country.  But 
he  was  obstinate — as  we  know — and  hesitated 
to  abandon  the  field  and  order  a  retreat.  He 
needed  but  another  lesson  in  Indian  cun- 
ning, however,  to  induce  him  to  change  his 
mind.  This  was  given  him  by  Uracca  in  the 
following  manner.  Learning  that  the  Span- 
iards were  desperately  enraged  because  of 
their  lack  of  success  in  finding  gold,  he  allow- 
ed several  of  his  men  to  be  captured,  who, 
when  threatened  with  torture  unless  they 
divulged  the  hiding-place  of  the  chief's  treas- 
ure, promised  to  conduct  their  captors  to  the 
place  where  it  was  concealed. 

Pedrarias  was  in  high  glee,  and  taunted  De 
Soto  and  his  veteran  officers  with  their  lack 
of  skill  in  matters  of  the  sort.  They  were  too 
chicken-hearted,  he  said,  to  apply  the  tort- 
ure, by  which  alone  information  could  be 
obtained  as  to  the  deposits  of  precious  metal, 
and  he  would  show  them  what  they  ought  to 
do.  De  Soto  retorted  that  a  man  would  say 
anything  expected  of  him  when  put  to  tort- 
ure ;  and,  moreover,  he  did  not  have  faith  in 
the  pretended  revelation,  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, suspected  treachery. 

"You  will  give  your  opinion  when  asked 
38 


IN   THE   WILDS   OF   NICARAGUA 

for  it,"  snapped  Don  Pedro.  "I  was  fight- 
ing Indians,  remember,  when  you  were  eating 
the  crumbs  that  fell  from  my  table,  while  I 
was  absent  from  my  castle — yea,  while  you 
were  prowling  around  that  castle  seeking  to 
purloin  my  most  precious  jewel!" 

Ferdinand  laid  his  hand  quickly  on  his 
sword-hilt,  and  his  eyes  flashed  angrily ;  but 
he  turned  away  without  a  word.  His  opin- 
ion, however,  though  unasked,  was  speedily 
confirmed,  for  when  the  forty  men,  whom 
the  governor  despatched  to  the  spot  indi- 
cated by  the  captives,  arrived  at  the  supposed 
treasure-vault,  they  were  set  upon  by  Ind- 
ians in  ambush  and  murdered.  One  mangled 
survivor  finally  reached  camp  with  the  dis- 
mal tidings,  on  receipt  of  which  Pedrarias 
ordered  every  captive  in  his  possession  thrown 
at  once  to  the  dogs.  As  the  ravening  brutes 
tore  the  wretched  Indians  limb  from  limb,  he 
looked  on  calmly,  gloating  over  the  gory 
spectacle,  which  was  by  no  means  an  uncom- 
mon one  for  him  to  witness. 

"  Sorry  am  I  we  have  so  few  to  feed  the 
hounds,"  he  was  heard  to  mutter.  "The 
poor  creatures  are  famished !  Sooth,  there  is 
one  Christian  I  would  like  them  to  try  teeth 
upon!" 

39 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

He  meant  De  Soto,  of  course ;  and  it  is  said 
that  Ferdinand  overheard  the  remark,  and, 
striding  up  to  him,  shook  a  mailed  fist  in  his 
face,  exclaiming:  "One  hound  has  tried  his 
teeth  on  me,  and  perchance  they  are  broken, 
Senor  Governor!" 

Pedrarias  glared  at  him,  but  ventured  no 
reply,  for  he  too  obviously  merited  the  vile 
epithet  De  Soto  had  applied  to  him,  and 
feared  to  provoke  an  encounter.  Another 
hero  of  this  war,  who  shone  in  contrast  with 
Pedrarias,  was  the  Indian  chief,  Uracca. 
Notwithstanding  that  his  opponent  had  de- 
livered to  the  blood-hounds,  not  only  warriors 
taken  in  battle,  but  infants  torn  from  their 
mothers'  breasts  (children  whose  innocence 
should  have  appealed  to  his  heart),  the  chief 
did  not  retaliate.  Indeed,  it  is  said  that  once 
having  made  captive  a  Spanish  lady  of 
Panama,  he  treated  her  with  great  considera- 
tion, and  when  opportunity  offered  returned 
her  safe  and  sound  to  her  friends.  When,  at 
last,  despairing  of  conquering  this  brave  and 
gallant  savage,  Pedrarias  ordered  a  retreat 
from  Veragua,  Uracca  refrained  from  pursuit, 
satisfied  at  having  driven  the  ferocious  in- 
vaders from  his  country. 

In  such  inglorious  labors  as  we  have  nar- 
40 


IN    THE   WILDS   OF    NICARAGUA 

rated,  Ferdinand  de  Soto  passed  his  first  five 
years  in  America,  and  when  they  were  gone 
he  found  himself  no  better  off,  as  to  fame  or 
fortune,  than  when  he  landed  at  Darien. 
He  had  expected  to  gather  gold-veined  peb- 
bles from  every  stream  and  precious  pearls 
on  every  strand,  but,  in  common  with  others, 
had  been  disappointed.  If  he  ever  reflected 
seriously,  he  must  have  seen  that  he  was  no 
better  than  a  bandit — that  he  was  one,  in  fact 
— for,  instead  of  devoting  himself  to  some 
honorable  occupation,  like  mining,  or  the 
tilling  of  the  soil,  he  had  spent  all  his  time  in 
ravaging  Indian  villages,  contributing  tow- 
ards, if  not  actively  engaged  in,  the  massacre 
of  innocent  natives,  and  destroying  the  fruits 
of  their  toil. 

It  is  strange  that  he  should  have  so 
persistently  attached  himself  to  Pedrarias; 
though  the  truth  is  that  he  might  have  gone 
east  or  west,  north  or  south,  and  he  could  not 
have  removed  himself  beyond  his  sphere  of 
influence.  He  had  an  opportunity,  in  1524, 
to  sail  southward  with  Francisco  Pizarro, 
when  he  made  his  first  voyage  in  search  of 
Peru ;  but,  though  urged  by  that  adventurer 
to  accompany  him,  he  positively  refused, 
having  no  liking  for  the  man. 
41 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

Soon  after  the  return  of  Pizarro  from  this 
voyage,  Pedrarias  was  superseded  by  Don 
Pedro  de  los  Rios,  a  new  governor  appointed 
by  the  king,  with  full  authority  to  bring  his 
immediate  predecessor  to  trial  for  his  nu- 
merous crimes.  Having  little  to  hope  from 
the  king's  clemency,  Pedrarias  resolved  to 
retire  into  the  almost  unknown  territory  of 
Nicaragua,  and  there,  with  his  bandit  band, 
follow  to  its  final  ending  the  lawless  career  he 
had  pursued  at  Darien.  He  sent  two  of  his 
generals,  Fernando  de  Cordova  and  De  Soto, 
to  prepare  the  country  for  his  arrival  by 
suppressing  the  people  and  putting  down  any 
usurper  who  might  dispute  his  authority. 
There  was  one  unique  individual,  known  as 
Gil  Gonzales  the  fanatic,  who  had  prac- 
tically taken  possession  of  Nicaragua,  and 
went  about  "converting"  its  native  inhabi- 
tants to  the  religion  he  and  his  fellow-bandits 
professed,  at  the  head  of  a  hundred  followers. 
They  were  all  well  mounted  and  armed. 
Their  alternative  of  "receive  our  religion  or 
fight "  was  taken  to  mean  that  they  desired 
gold  in  exchange  for  a  promise  of  salvation, 
so  the  natives  flocked  to  Gonzales  and  were 
baptized  at  the  rate  of  thirty  thousand  a  year. 
For  baptismal  fees  alone  he  is  said  to  have 
42 


IN    THE   WILDS    OF    NICARAGUA 

received  four  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and 
he  was  rapidly  accumulating  a  fortune,  when 
the  arrival  of  De  Cordova  and  De  Soto  inter- 
fered with  his  plans.  Encountering  the  lat- 
ter one  night,  he  engaged  him  in  battle,  with 
the  result  that  he  lost  fifty  of  his  best  men, 
though  his  force  outnumbered  De  Soto's  more 
than  five  to  one.  Ferdinand  fought  with  his 
accustomed  valor  and  energy,  never  counting 
the  cost  of  a  conflict,  and  so  impressed  the 
fanatic  that  he  fled  from  the  province  and  in- 
trenched himself  in  the  mountains. 

There  was  no  other  foe  to  molest  them,  so 
De  Cordova  and  De  Soto  carried  out  the  in- 
structions of  old  Pedrarias  to  the  letter,  and 
founded  two  towns,  Granada  and  Leon,  which, 
favored  with  a  fertile  soil  and  charming  cli- 
mate, soon  became  quite  flourishing.  Hav- 
ing done  as  he  was  directed  by  Pedrarias,  De 
Soto  returned  to  Panama  to  report.  The  dis- 
tance was  more  than  four  hundred  miles,  and 
there  were  no  roads  or  beaten  paths  for  the 
guidance  of  the  traveller;  but  the  Spaniards 
of  those  days  thought  nothing  of  obstacles 
which  to-day  might  be  deemed  insuperable. 

Finding  his  irascible  patron  about  to  de- 
part from  Panama,  and  the  new  governor 
perilously  near,  the  loyal  Ferdinand  attached 
43 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

himself  to  Pedrarias  again  and  returned  with 
him  to  Nicaragua.  He  was  shocked,  how- 
ever, to  discover  that  the  old  tyrant  had 
conceived  the  idea  that  his  friend,  De  Cor- 
dova, intended  to  cast  off  his  allegiance  and 
set  up  a  government  of  his  own.  Captain 
Bernal  Diaz,  that  veracious  historian  of  the 
conquest  of  Mexico,  states  it  was  really  De 
Cordova's  intention  to  disavow  Pedrarias, 
who  was,  to  all  intents,  a  fugitive,  and  ally 
with  Hernando  Cortes,  then  recently  arrived 
in  Honduras,  on  the  northern  border  of 
Nicaragua. 

However,  the  mere  supposition  was  enough 
to  excite  the  frantic  Pedrarias  to  action.  All 
the  long  way  to  Nicaragua,  he  was  breath- 
ing vengeance  against  De  Cordova,  and  as 
soon  as  he  arrived  at  Leon  he  summoned 
him  to  appear  before  him  in  the  public 
square.  Now,  De  Cordova  had  been  warned, 
not  only  by  letters  from  De  So  to,  but  by  Gil 
Gonzales,  that  unless  he  successfully  resisted 
Pedrarias  he  would  do  to  him  as  he  had  done 
to  Balboa  —  that  is,  cut  off  his  head.  And 
this  is  what  he  did,  when,  relying  upon  the 
justice  of  his  cause,  poor  De  Cordova  ap- 
peared before  him  as  ordered,  unarmed  and 
without  soldiers,  in  a  twinkling  the  stalwart 
44 


IN    THE    WILDS    OF    NICARAGUA 

executioner,  who  had  been  concealed  behind 
Don  Pedro's  chair,  stepped  forward  and  sev- 
ered his  head  from  his  shoulders. 

It  was  done  so  quickly  that  De  Soto  him- 
self, who  had  charge  of  the  soldiers  on  guard 
about  the  square,  was  taken  by  surprise. 
When  he  realized  the  appalling  nature  of  the 
crime  Pedrarias  had  committed  before  his 
very  eyes,  he  drew  sword  and  was  about  to 
dash  forward  and  cut  down  the  old  man  on 
the  spot;  but  something  within  restrained 
him.  This  old  man  was  the  father  of  Isa- 
bel, whose  memory  he  sacredly  cherished  in 
his  heart,  whom  he  still  intended  to  claim  as 
his  bride.  How,  then,  could  he  do  so  if  he 
should  be  guilty  of  her  father's  death? 


IV 

DE    SOTO,    THE   AVENGER 
1524-1527 

THE  sword  was  reluctantly  restored  to 
its  scabbard ;  but  it  was  soon  to  have  a 
victim,  nevertheless.  Hardly  had  the  ex- 
ecutioner held  the  bleeding  head  aloft  and 
shouted :  "  This  is  the  doom  of  a  traitor,"  than 
Pedrarias  issued  an  order  to  a  file  of  soldiers, 
who  marched  across  the  square  and  closed 
about  De  So  to.  They  were  the  most  reliable 
of  the  old  tyrant's  mercenaries,  and  led  by  an 
officer  who  had  committed  many  a  crime  at 
his  behest. 

"Seize  and  drag  him  hither,"  cried  Pedra- 
rias, pointing  at  Ferdinand  an  accusing  finger. 
"  He,  too,  is  a  traitor,  false  to  me  and  to  his 
king.  He  shall  share  the  penalty  we  have 
meted  to  his  comrade."  For  a  single  instant 
Ferdinand  sat  as  if  petrified.  He  had  long  ex- 
pected death  at  the  hands  of  Pedrarias,  but  did 
not  believe  he  would  dare  inflict  it  so  openly. 
46 


DE   SOTO,  THE    AVENGER 

As  the  officer  reached  out  to  seize  his  bridle- 
rein,  De  Soto  recovered  himself.  His  good 
sword  leaped  from  the  scabbard,  and  like  a 
flash  descended  upon  the  officer's  helmet, 
cleaving  it  and  the  head  within  in  twain. 
Wrenching  it  free  with  a  violent  effort,  De 
Soto  held  the  dripping  blade  aloft,  and,  put- 
ting spurs  to  his  powerful  charger,  dashed 
through  the  ring  of  soldiers  straight  upon 
Pedrarias. 

"Murderer!  Usurper!"  he  shouted,  plac- 
ing the  sword-point  at  the  trembling  tyrant's 
breast.  "  That  I  do  not  kill  you  is  because  I 
hold  sacred  the  memory  of  one  who  is  not 
here.  Your  death  has  long  been  overdue, 
but — "  He  made  as  if  to  sheath  his  sword, 
when  there  arose  cries  on  every  side:  "  Down 
with  the  tyrant!  Kill  him!  Kill  him!" 

"You  hear  them?  Those  are  the  cries  of 
your  soldiers.  They  know,  and  I  know,  that 
the  blood  of  our  dead  comrade  cries  aloud 
for  vengeance — that  justice  demands  your 
death.  You  killed  Balboa — a  most  dastard- 
ly crime — Balboa,  who  was  betrothed  to  your 
daughter;  and  now  you  would  kill  me!  I 
have  served  you  most  faithfully  many  years, 
but  henceforth  my  sword  shall  never  be  drawn 
in  your  service,  not  even  to  defend  your  life." 
47 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

With  these  words  De  Soto  turned  from 
the  despicable  wretch  and  joined  his  troop. 
The  citizens  of  Leon  and  the  soldiery  gathered 
around  him  and  urged  that  he  seize  upon 
the  government  of  Nicaragua,  in  the  name  of 
the  king,  promising  him  their  loyal  and  un- 
wavering support.  Nicaragua  lay  as  a  mid- 
dle ground  between  Mexico-Guatemala  and 
the  Isthmus.  With  such  an  energetic  ruler 
as  De  Soto  would  have  made,  it  might  have 
become  great  and  powerful ;  but  he  put  aside 
this  opportunity  and  contented  himself  with 
exploration  merely. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  at  the  time 
these  occurrences  took  place  the  three 
Americas,  North,  Central,  and  South,  were 
but  little  known.  Mexico  had  only  just  been 
conquered;  Guatemala  was  being  invaded; 
the  West  Indies,  alone,  had  been  to  any 
extent  explored.  The  great  problem  that 
confronted  the  discoverers  was  what  was 
termed  the  "secret  of  the  strait" — of  a  pas- 
sage supposed  to  exist  between  the  Carib- 
bean Sea  and  the  Pacific.  Columbus  had 
searched  for  it  vainly;  so  had  Corte"s  and 
others. 

We  know  that  it  was  never  discovered, 
and  that  the  waters  of  the  sea  and  the  ocean 
48 


DE    SOTO, THE   AVENGER 

will  be  blended  only  after  an  artificial  water- 
way shall  have  been  opened  through  the 
mountains  that  separate  them  at  the  narrow- 
est part  of  the  Isthmus.  But  De  Soto  did  not 
know  this,  and,  believing  the  solution  of  the 
secret  to  be  vastly  more  important  than  the 
founding  or  government  of  a  colony,  he  set 
himself  to  the  task.  Choosing  a  few  con- 
genial spirits  from  his  troop,  he  departed  on 
an  exploring  expedition,  which  resulted  in 
making  known  more  than  seven  hundred  miles 
of  coast  -  line.  He  solved  the  secret  by  as- 
certaining that  there  was  no  strait;  and  in 
exploring  it  is  quite  as  important  to  nail  a 
fallacy  as  to  make  a  new  discovery.  He  re- 
turned greatly  enriched,  from  traffic  with  the 
natives ;  and  though  this  was,  so  far  as  can  be 
ascertained,  his  first  accumulation  of  gold, 
he  generously  shared  it  with  his  comrades, 
not  only  with  those  who  went  with  him,  but 
those  of  his  troop  who  remained  behind. 

Pedrarias  was  still  living,  and,  unfortunate- 
ly for  Nicaragua,  still  wielding  a  semblance 
of  power;  so  Ferdinand  remained  in  the 
country  only  long  enough  to  set  his  affairs 
in  order,  and  started  south  again.  His 
loyal  troopers  accompanied  him,  but  for 
what  purpose  they  returned  towards  the 
49 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

Isthmus  is  not  exactly  known,  though  it  is 
conjectured  that  they  were  drawn  thither  by 
the  reports  of  Pizarro's  great  successes  in 
Peru.  They  all  set  out  for  Panama,  taking 
no  account  of  the  difficulties  in  the  journey ; 
but  when  some  distance  on  the  way,  while 
marching  along  the  coast,  they  discovered 
a  vessel,  which  De  Soto  promptly  chartered. 
Had  the  master  of  this  vessel  known  the 
character  of  De  Soto  and  the  relation  in 
which  he  stood  to  Pedrarias,  he  would  have 
refused  him  passage,  to  a  certainty;  but  he 
paid  the  penalty  of  his  ignorance  with  his 
life.  Hereby  hangs  a  short  story  of  crime, 
for  the  proper  development  of  which  we 
must  turn  back  a  few  years  in  the  life  of  our 
hero. 

It  chanced  that,  in  one  of  his  forays, 
Ferdinand  had  found  captive  among  the 
Indians,  and  rescued,  an  Italian  astronomer 
named  Micer  Codro.  He  was  a  man  of 
science,  unacquainted  with  war,  and  went 
about  looking  for  and  delving  into  the  secrets 
of  nature.  His  head  was  always  "in  the 
stars  " ;  but  he  valued  it  highly,  just  the  same, 
and  was  very  grateful  to  De  Soto  for  having 
rescued  him  from  the  savages.  Being  some- 
thing of  an  astrologer,  he  cast  his  horoscope, 


DE   SOTO,  THE   AVENGER 

as,  some  years  previously,  he  had  foretold  the 
fate  of  Balboa.  He  informed  him  that  he  was 
ever  in  peril  while  with  Pedrarias,  who  would 
seek  to  take  his  life,  as  he  had  taken  that  of 
Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa ;  but  he  would  escape 
his  wiles  and  live  to  accomplish  the  great 
aim  of  his  life,  which  was  a  union  with  the 
one  he  loved. 

"You  will  be  more  fortunate  than  Vasco 
Nuiiez,"  said  the  astrologer,  and  will  live 
to  the  age  he  attained,  which  was  forty-two, 
before  death,  in  a  strange  manner  and  in  a 
new  land,  shall  claim  you.'.' 

"We  are  all  in  the  keeping  of  God,"  re- 
plied De  So  to,  humbly.  "  I  rely  upon  Him 
to  protect  me." 

Shortly  after  this  conversation  took  place 
the  artless  philosopher,  Micer  Codro,  was  se- 
lected by  Pedrarias  to  represent  him  at  the 
court  of  Spain.  He  could  not  trust  a  man 
less  simple  and  unworldly  than  the  astrologer, 
for  fear  his  crimes  might  be  made  known; 
but,  as  it  turned  out,  he  was  the  last  person 
he  should  have  employed,  owing  to  his 
friendship  for  Ferdinand.  When  he  learned 
that  he  was  to  be  sent  to  Spain,  Codro  was 
overjoyed  at  the  opportunity  it  gave  him  to 
serve  the  man  who  had  saved  his  life.  He 
51 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

hastened  to  Ferdinand  and  said:  "I  am  go- 
ing to  Spain.  I  shall  see  the  family  of  Don 
Pedro,  to  whom  I  am  to  be  intrusted  with 
letters.  Is  there  no  member  of  that  family 
you  would  like  me  to  carry  a  message  to? 
Five  years  is  a  long  time,  without  news  of 
one's  beloved,  is  it  not?" 

Ferdinand  started  in  astonishment.  "  How 
did  you  know?"  he  asked.  "Oh,  I  forgot — 
perhaps  you  learned  it  of  the  stars.  Yes,  it 
is  five  years  since  I  came  here,  and  during 
that  time  not  one  word.  Sometimes  I  ques- 
tion whether  she  has  written." 

"  Nay,  do  not  doubt  her,  friend.  She  has 
written,  but  her  letters  have  been  inter- 
cepted by  her  father.  This  chance  I  offer 
you  is  the  only  one  you  will  have,  for  I  not 
only  go,  but  I  return,  and  everything  will  be 
wrapped  in  secrecy." 

"But,"  answered  De  So  to,  doubtfully, 
"  should  Don  Pedro  discover  it  he  would  not 
hesitate  to  kill  you." 

"  I  fear  him  not.  If  he  is  to  kill  me,  then 
it  is  so  written  in  the  stars.  Prepare  your 
letter,  friend,  and  I  will  carry  it." 

Ferdinand  raised  no  more  objections,  but 
wrote  a  letter  to  Isabel  de  Bobadilla,  in 
which  he  poured  forth  the  pent-up  feelings  of 
52 


DE    SOTO,  THE    AVENGER 

those  five  long  years.  It  was  taken  by 
Micer  Codro  to  Spain,  and  delivered  in  per- 
son to  the  delighted  maiden,  who  respond- 
ed with  an  epistle  filled  with  fervent  love 
and  protestations  of  undying  affection.  She 
assured  her  lover  that,  though  she  had 
written  him  previously,  and  received  no 
answer,  she  knew  and  appreciated  the  cause 
of  that  long  silence.  She  had  not  for  a 
moment  distrusted  him,  nor  would  she  ever 
do  so.  She  impatiently  awaited  his  return; 
but  whatever  time  might  elapse  before  that 
happy  event,  she  would  be  faithful  to  the 
end. 

Eight  years  more  were  to  pass  before  the 
return  of  De  So  to  to  Spain,  or  fifteen  in  all, 
ere  he  found  the  fortune  which  enabled  him 
to  go  and  claim  his  bride;  but  during  this 
long  period  both  were  faithful  to  each  other. 
Simple  Micer  Codro,  though  he  could  predict 
future  events,  did  not  possess  the  craft  to 
conceal  his  intentions.  There  were  spies 
about  the  castle,  and  spies  in  Panama,  who 
reported  to  Don  Pedro  everything  that  had 
happened,  and  he  knew  that  Isabel  had 
sent  a  letter  to  her  lover  almost  as  soon  as 
Ferdinand  had  received  it. 

He  said  nothing,  and  kept  a  smiling  face 
s  53 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

for  poor  Codro,  whom  he  rewarded  for  his 
services  by  sending  him  on  an  exploring  trip 
down  the  coast.  Such  an  expedition  was 
what  the  man  of  science  delighted  in,  and  he 
embarked  most  joyfully ;  but  he  had  not  been 
long  aboard  the  vessel  before  he  discovered 
the  real  nature  of  the  fiendish  governor's  in- 
tentions. The  craft  was  a  slaver,  command- 
ed by  a  brutal  wretch  named  Geronimo  de 
Valenzuela,  who,  carrying  out  the  instruc- 
tions he  had  received  from  Pedrarias,  chain- 
ed poor  Codro  to  the  main-mast.  There  he 
was  kept  until  he  finally  died  from  exhaus- 
tion, exposed  to  the  fierce  rays  of  a  tropical 
sun  by  day  and  the  drenching  dews  of  night. 
Ten  days  he  was  kept  thus,  all  the  time  with- 
out food  or  water,  and  suffering  abuse  from 
the  heartless  crew.  As  his  end  approach- 
ed he  called  Valenzuela  to  him  and,  with 
his  last  accents,  said:  "Captain,  you  have 
caused  my  death  by  your  cruelty.  I  now 
summon  you  to  appear  with  me,  within  a 
year,  before  the  judgment-seat  of  God." 

The  vessel  in  which  De  Soto  had  taken 

passage  worked  its  way  along  the  southern 

coast  of  Veragua,  and  late    one    afternoon 

arrived  off  a  group  of  islands  about  one  hun- 

54 


DE   SOTO,  THE   AVENGER 

dred  miles  southwest  of  Panama,  known  as 
the  Zebacos.  They  were  green  and  beautiful 
isles.  Something  in  their  appearance  seem- 
ed to  excite  in  the  captain  of  the  vessel  a 
spirit  of  reminiscence. 

"Oh  ho!"  he  exclaimed  to  his  mate;  "do 
you  remember  the  last  time  we  passed  Ze- 
bacos, and  the  old  wizard  we  buried  there?" 

"Sooth,  I  do,"  replied  the  mate;  "and, 
moreover,  the  year  is  nearly  up,  my  captain, 
so  prepare  yourself,  perchance." 

"What  is  it?"  asked  one  of  the  soldiers. 

A  group  of  De  Soto's  men  had  gathered 
about,  and  among  them  was  their  commander, 
who  listened  carelessly  as  the  master  of  the 
vessel  gave  the  details  of  a  fiendish  story. 
He  was  a  man  of  brutal  appearance,  whose 
whole  career  had  been  one  of  wickedness. 
His  name  was  Geronimo  de  Valenzuela,  and 
he  was  the  same  who  had  tortured  poor 
Codro  to  death,  though  De  So  to  was  not 
aware  of  that.  Indeed,  he  had  never  learned 
what  had  become  of  his  friend,  who  had 
mysteriously  disappeared  and  left  no  trace 
by  which  his  fate  could  be  known.  He  was 
soon  to  learn,  however,  and  in  a  startling 
manner  was  to  avenge  his  death. 

"Ye  see  that  island  standing  up  high 
55 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

above  the  sea,  with  a  cocoa  -  palm  on  its 
highest  part  ?  Well,  there  we  buried  him, 
the  old  wizard  who,  somehow,  had  offended 
Pedrarias.  He  had  proved  treacherous,  I 
believe,  bringing  back  letters  from  Spain 
which  Don  Pedro  would  rather  had  not  been 
sent.  Whatever  it  was,  he  was  to  suffer  for 
it,  and  I  had  orders  to  chain  him  to  the  mast 
and  keep  him  there  till  he  died.  It  was  not 
so  easy  a  task,  for  the  old  man  was  all  of  ten 
days  in  dying,  though  we  helped  him  along 
somewhat.  Eh,  mate?" 

The  captain  burst  into  a  roar  of  brutal 
laughter,  in  which  he  was  joined  by  such  of 
his  crew  as  were  with  him  when  poor  Codro 
was  tortured.  Had  they  looked  up,  they 
would  have  seen  that  De  Soto  was  standing 
near,  with  flashing  eyes  and  paling  cheek,  one 
hand  convulsively  gripping  his  sword.  But 
he  kept  silence,  and  the  fiend  continued : 

"Well,  towards  the  last  the  old  man  lost 
his  speech ;  but  some  time  before  he  died  he 
recovered  and  called  to  me.  'Captain,'  he 
said,  'I  die;  you  have  killed  me;  but  know 
this :  within  one  year  you  will  appear  with  me 
before  the  judgment-seat  of  Almighty  God.' 

"Oh  ho,  he  spoke  like  a  prophet;  but  the 
year  is  within  a  week  of  its  ending,  and  here 
56 


DE    SOTO, THE    AVENGER 

am  I.  And  there  is  the  island  where  we 
buried  him.  Now,  who  can  say  Don  Codro 
was  no  liar?" 

"I  say  it,"  thundered  a  voice  in  his  ear. 
"  He  was  my  friend  and  a  good  man,  and 
with  this  blade  I  will  prove  he  was  no  liar." 

With  one  swift  and  powerful  blow  De  Soto 
severed  the  man's  head  from  his  body,  and 
it  rolled  upon  the  deck. 

"  Now  come  at  me,  varlets,  one  or  all. 
Here  stand  I,  Ferdinand  de  Soto,  to  defend 
the  good  name  of  my  friend,  to  avenge  an 
atrocious  deed,  for  that  friend  doubtless  died 
for  doing  me  an  inestimable  service." 

But  not  one  of  those  cringing  villains 
made  a  move  towards  the  valiant  swords- 
man. Instead,  they  slunk  away,  one  by 
one,  overpowered  by  the  suddenness  of  the 
onslaught.  The  skill  displayed  by  De  Soto, 
as  well  as  his  courage,  elicited  their  admi- 
ration; and  though  they  murmured  among 
themselves  as  they  cast  the  captain's  remains 
to  the  sharks,  they  attempted  no  reprisal. 

The  date  of  this  incident  and  the  length  of 
De  Soto's  stay  in  Nicaragua  are  not  known. 
It  is  probable  that,  after  his  return  to 
Panama,  he  lingered  so  long,  in  a  country 
already  impoverished  by  the  raids  of  in- 
57 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

satiate  Spaniards,  who  repeatedly  ravaged 
it  with  fire,  sword,  and  packs  of  blood- 
hounds, that  he  expended  all  the  gold  he  had 
obtained  in  Nicaragua.  We  know  this :  that 
when,  after  having  reached  the  frontiers  of 
Peru,  and  finding  himself  unable  to  advance 
because  of  the  few  men  he  had  with  him, 
Francisco  Pizarro  sent  urgent  calls  to  Panama 
for  reinforcements,  De  Soto  consented  to  go 
to  the  rescue. 

He  had  long  known  Pizarro,  from  having 
come  in  contact  with  him  during  the  fre- 
quent raids  they  had  made  together  when 
in  Panama  and  Darien,  but  by  no  means 
admired  him.  In  fact,  he  heartily  despised 
him,  although  he  could  not  but  have  rec- 
ognized his  soldierly  qualities.  But  Pizarro 
had  now  obtained  the  consent  of  the  Span- 
ish sovereign  to  the  conquest  of  Peru;  he 
had  persisted  in  his  attempt  to  reach  that 
country  during  many  years,  and  was  at  last 
on  the  verge  of  success.  He  offered  great  in- 
ducements to  any  cavaliers  who  would  come 
to  his  assistance,  and  sent  a  special  request 
to  De  Soto. 

For  several  years  previous  to  the  departure 
of  De  Soto  for  Peru  he  and  Pedrarias  had  held 
no  communication.  Don  Pedro  was  consistent 
58 


DE    SOT O,  THE    AVENGER 

in  his  cruelties,  it  is  believed,  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  while  De  Soto 
was  absent  in  Peru.  He  pursued  the  Indians 
vindictively,  using  blood-hounds  unsparingly 
and  committing  atrocities  which  called  down 
upon  his  head  the  curses  of  all  who  spoke  his 
name.  The  natives  of  Nicaragua  were  en- 
slaved, and  the  survivors  of  his  massacres  de- 
prived of  their  harvests,  so  that  famine  resulted 
and  many  thousands  perished  of  a  pestilence. 
De  Soto  would  not  lend  himself  to  the  en- 
slavement of  the  Indians,  nor  is  his  name 
notably  connected  with  any  act  of  atrocity 
in  Nicaragua  or  Panama.  But,  in  transfer 
ring  his  allegiance  from  Pedrarias  to  Pizarro, 
he  merely  passed  from  the  service  of  one 
unscrupulous  villain  to  that  of  another.  In 
the  interim,  however,  he  had  become  a  free- 
lance, and  owned  no  man  as  his  master.  His 
strength  and  prestige  enabled  him  to  dictate 
terms  to  the  Conqueror  of  Peru,  and,  "ac- 
cording to  the  report  of  many  persons  who 
were  there,  he  distinguished  himself  over  all 
the  captains  and  principal  personages  present, 
not  only  at  the  seizure  of  Atabalipa,  lord  of 
Peru,  and  in  carrying  the  city  of  Cuzco,  but 
at  all  other  places  wheresoever  he  went  and 
found  resistance." 

59 


THE    REWARD    OP   DEVOTION 
1532-1538 

HAVING  informed  ourselves  as  to  the  in- 
fluences which  shaped'  the  character  of 
Ferdinand  de  So  to,  we  will  now  return  to  the 
Inca's  court,  at  which  we  found  our  hero  in 
the  first  chapter  of  this  biography.  Suc- 
ceeding to  the  arrival  of  Pizarro's  army  at 
Cassamarca  and  the  visit  paid  the  Spaniards 
by  the  Inca,  Atahuallpa,  came  the  horrible 
massacre  by  which  Peruvian  affairs  were 
thrown  into  chaos  and  the  "Child  of  the 
Sun"  made  a  prisoner. 

While  this  atrocious  deed  was  planned  by 
Pizarro,  it  evidently  received  the  sanction  of 
his  captains,  and  there  is  nothing  to  show 
that  De  Soto  disapproved  it  or  did  not  lend 
his  active  assistance.  As  commander  of  the 
most  active  troop  of  cavalry,  he  probably 
took  a  leading  part  in  the  fiendish  slaugh- 
ter of  unarmed  Peruvians;  but,  as  he  is  not 
60 


THE    REWARD   OF   DEVOTION 

mentioned  particularly,  we  may  give  him  the 
"benefit  of  the  doubt,"  and  hope,  at  least, 
that  he  did  not.  He  was  assuredly  absent 
when  the  massacre  was  planned,  but  present 
when  it  was  carried  into  execution. 

It  does  not  accord  with  our  conception  of 
him,  as  obtained  through  scanning  his  deeds 
in  Darien  and  Nicaragua;  but  inasmuch  as 
he  shared  in  the  spoils — which  he  did  to  a 
notable  extent — he  must  have  participated 
in  the  slaughter.  However  this  may  have 
been,  it  is  known  that  he  was  the  only  man 
in  Pizarro's  army  who  was  admitted  to  the 
confidence  of  the  captive  monarch,  and  per- 
haps the  only  one  who  could  have  saved 
him  from  an  inglorious  death.  It  is  said 
that  it  was  through  him  that  Atahuallpa 
offered  to  ransom  himself  by  filling  an  im- 
mense room  with  gold  and  another  with 
silver. 

An  ardent  friendship  existed  between  him 
and  Atahuallpa,  who  now  regarded  the  hand- 
some cavalier  as  his  sole  reliance.  Pizarro 
did  not  dare  attempt  the  Inca's  life  while  De 
Soto  was  by,  so  he  invented  the  report  that 
a  conspiracy  had  been  formed  by  the  Peru- 
vians to  release  their  ruler,  and  sent  him 
off  with  his  troopers  to  investigate.  The  un- 
61 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

suspicious  Ferdinand  set  out  on  this  toil- 
some journey  as  a  mission  of  love — for  it 
was  said  that  the  Inca  had  incited  this 
conspiracy,  and  he  was  anxious  to  disprove 
it.  He  was  gone  several  days,  and  when 
he  returned  the  dreadful  deed  had  been 
committed. 

Atahuallpa  was  dead.  He  had  been  sen- 
tenced to  be  burned  at  the  stake,  on  the 
evening  of  the  very  day  he  went  through  the 
semblance  of  a  trial,  in  order  that  he  should 
be  put  out  of  the  way  before  De  Soto  re- 
turned. Though  the  sentence  of  burning 
had  been  commuted  to  death  by  strangling, 
that  "he  might  die  a  Christian,"  he  had 
suffered  the  extreme  penalty.  When  led  to 
the  stake,  and  while  the  fagots  were  being 
piled  about  him,  the  hapless  Inca  looked 
around  for  De  Soto. 

"Oh,  where  is  he,  my  friend?"  he  asked. 
"It  is  not  like  him  to  consent  to  this  foul 
murder.  He  can  save  me,  I  know.  Why 
does  he  not  compel  my  release?" 

When  told  that  De  Soto  had  gone  to  sup- 
press a  conspiracy  instigated  by  the  Inca 
himself,  he  groaned,  and  said  no  more.  The 
full  extent  of  Pizarro's  treachery  was  then 
apparent  to  him.  His  only  friend  with  in- 
62 


ATAHUALLPA,    INCA    OF    PERU 


THE    REWARD    OF    DEVOTION 

fluence  had  been  sent  away,  in  order  that  he 
might  be  murdered  without  a  protest. 

When  De  Soto  arrived  at  the  place  at 
which  it  was  declared  by  Pizarro  the  Inca's 
followers  were  assembling,  he  found  every- 
thing quiet  and  no  signs  of  a  disturbance. 
A  terrible  suspicion  then  took  possession  of 
him,  and  he  hastened  back  to  the  city  with 
all  speed.  On  the  way  he  learned  the  truth, 
and  on  his  arrival  at  headquarters  strode 
into  the  room  where  Pizarro  was  sitting, 
with  a  slouched  hat  drawn  over  his  eyes,  in 
sign  of  mourning,  and  fiercely  upbraided  him 
for  his  perfidy. 

"  Look  up,  miserable  coward  and  assassin!" 
he  shouted,  drawing  his  sword  and  with  its 
point  lifting  the  hat  from  Pizarro 's  head. 
"There  was  no  conspiracy — as  you  knew. 
There  was  no  treachery,  except  in  your  own 
black  heart — which  I  have  a  mind  to  thrust 
through  with  this  sword,  Francisco  Pizarro!" 

In  this  tenor  he  raved,  his  indignation 
blazing  forth  like  a  flame ;  but  to  no  avail. 
The  deed  was  done,  and  he  could  not  restore 
the  dead.  It  is  said  that  he  ended  by  chal- 
lenging all  the  Pizarros  to  single  combat, 
and  that  not  one  of  them  dared  accept  it; 
but  it  is  certain  that  he  threatened  to  re- 
63 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

sign  his  commission  and  leave  Peru  at  once. 
Thinking  it  over,  however,  after  his  wrath 
had  somewhat  cooled,  he  concluded  to  re- 
main, at  least  until  Cuzco  was  taken. 

The  entire  force  of  invaders  amounted  to 
less  than  five  hundred  men,  while  the  Inca's 
standing  army  was  ten  times  that  number, 
and  the  people  were  everywhere  rising  to 
avenge  the  death  of  their  ruler.  To  resign, 
in  those  circumstances,  would  appear  the 
act  of  a  coward,  and  De  Soto  resolved  to  re- 
main until  victory  perched  upon  the  Spanish 
standards.  Nearly  another  year,  in  truth,  he 
remained  in  Peru,  and  when  he  left  it  was 
with  the  satisfaction  of  having  done  his  duty, 
in  the  light  in  which  he  saw  it  then. 

But  it  was  a  sullen  and  fractious  De  Soto 
that  went  along  with  the  army  when,  on  a 
day  in  September,  1533,  it  set  out  for  Cuz- 
co, the  former  capital  of  the  incas.  He  had 
accomplished  the  object  of  his  ambition,  and 
was  now  wealthy,  even  beyond  the  antici- 
pations in  which  he  had  indulged  when,  as 
a  young  adventurer,  he  first  set  foot  on 
American  soil.  He  was  at  liberty  to  return 
to  Spain  and  clainf  his  bride,  but  his  keen 
sense  of  honor  restrained  him. 

Sullenly,  then,  he  led  his  troopers  over  the 
64 


THE    REWARD   OF    DEVOTION 

mountains,  taking  as  usual  the  post  of  danger, 
and  obeying  with  alacrity  the  command  of 
Pizarro  to  force  a  perilous  pass  held  and 
fortified  by  the  Indians.  It  was  a  gloomy 
defile  between  precipitous  cliffs,  and  the  only 
passage  was  over  a  narrow  stairway  cut  in 
solid  rock.  Setting  the  example  to  his  men, 
De  Soto  dismounted  and,  with  his  bridle- 
rein  over  one  arm,  began  the  perilous  ascent. 
He  had  scarcely  done  so  when  a  great 
boulder  came  rolling  down,  sent  by  a  troop 
of  howling  savages  above.  It  bounded  over 
him,  as  he  was  sheltered  by  an  intervening 
ledge,  and  cut  a  ghastly  swath  through  his 
men,  who  were  toiling  behind.  Several  were 
crushed  to  death, as  well  as  their  horses;  but, 
though  the  approaching  contest  promised 
to  be  one  with  cyclopean  forces,  Ferdinand 
hesitated  only  long  enough  to  give  directions 
to  clear  the  pathway  of  the  mangled  remains, 
and  hastened  on.  The  air  was  filled  with 
arrows,  javelins,  lances,  hurled  by  sinewy 
arms,  and  now  and  again  great  rocks  came 
thundering  down;  but  still  on  he  pressed, 
bowing  his  head  to  the  storm,  the  missile- 
weapons  glancing  like  hail  from  his  armor. 
Gallantly  supported  by  his  brave  troopers, 
he  gained  at  last  a  plateau  on  the  mountain- 
65 


FERDINAND    DE   SOTO 

top,  where,  forming  his  men  in  battle  array, 
he  charged  the  Indians  and  drove  them  to  a 
distance.  He  did  this  repeatedly,  but,  just 
as  often  as  he  returned  to  the  spot  he  had 
fixed  upon  for  a  camp,  just  so  often  came 
rolling  back  the  tide  of  yelling  savages,  evi- 
dently intent  upon  forcing  him  and  his  men 
over  the  precipices.  The  coming  of  night 
alone  saved  the  Spaniards  from  complete 
destruction;  but  they  dared  not  sleep,  for 
ominous  noises  in  the  surrounding  forest  told 
them  that  the  desperate  Peruvians  were  as- 
sembling by  thousands,  determined  to  make 
one  last  effort  to  save  their  capital  from  in- 
vasion. 

They  had  chosen  their  stand  with  consum- 
mate strategy,  and  here  they  concentrated 
their  warriors,  with  the  intention  of  destroy- 
ing the  Spaniards  at  the  coming  of  the  dawn. 
They  were  only  prevented  from  doing  so  by 
the  opportune  arrival  of  reinforcements  un- 
der Almagro,  the  partner  of  Pizarro  in  this 
enterprise.  He  was  in  command  of  a  strong 
detachment  of  infantry,  which  had  camped 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  unaware  of  the 
desperate  situation  of  De  Soto.  A  courier, 
sent  by  the  latter,  managed  to  break  through 
the  investing  lines  and  take  to  Almagro  ti- 
66 


THE    REWARD   OF    DEVOTION 

dings  of  the  disaster.  Without  a  moment's 
hesitation,  the  command  was  set  in  motion. 
It  scaled  the  dizzy  heights  in  midnight  dark- 
ness, and  gained  the  plateau,  the  first  inti- 
mation of  succor  coming  to  De  Soto  from  Al- 
magro's  bugle-blasts,  which  echoed  through 
the  forest. 

Both  commanders  held  a  similar  detesta- 
tion of  Pizarro,  for  both  had  been  wronged 
by  him ;  yet  both  were  engaged  in  a  common 
cause  against  the  foe.  Back  to  back,  with 
the  infantry  in  the  centre  and  the  mailed 
chargers  presenting  a  front  of  steel,  they  re- 
pulsed the  advancing  Indians,  then  in  loosen- 
ed formation  opened  fire  with  cross-bows  and 
arquebuses,  while  the  cavalry  charged  madly 
across  the  plain.  The  slaughter  was  terrible, 
and  the  ground  was  soon  covered  with  the 
slain;  but  victory  was  won  at  great  cost  to 
the  Spaniards,  many  of  whom  were  crushed 
beneath  the  blows  from  ponderous  battle- 
axes  or  transfixed  with  arrows  and  javelins. 

The  Peruvians  retreated  in  confusion,  and, 
save  for  a  slight  skirmish  a  few  days  later, 
the  Spaniards  encountered  no  further  op- 
position to  their  entry  into  Cuzco,  which  was 
accomplished  on  November  15,  1533.  The 
battle  of  the  plateau  was  the  first  of  any  im- 
67 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

portance  fought  between  Peruvians  and  the 
invaders  of  their  country,  and  it  was  also  the 
last  in  which  De  Soto  was  engaged. 

In  Cuzco  the  Spaniards  found  a  large 
amount  of  treasure,  though  not  so  much  as 
if  they  had  pushed  on  rapidly,  as  De  Soto 
had  desired  to  do  after  the  battle  of  the  pass. 
It  may  have  been  because  Pizarro  was  feeling 
the  effects  of  advancing  years,  or  from  an 
inclination  to  allow  De  Soto  to  bear  the  brunt 
of  the  attacks,  that  he  lingered  by  the  way, 
when  the  City  of  the  Sun  was  almost  within 
his  grasp.  But  he  did  so,  first  in  this  seduc- 
tive valley,  then  in  another,  until  at  last  his 
fiery  captain,  provoked  beyond  measure  at 
the  delay,  which  was  unpardonable  from  a 
military  point  of  view,  burst  the  slight  bands 
of  restraint  which  held  him,  and  dashed  for- 
ward with  his  devoted  dragoons. 

He  and  they  led  the  advance,  from  be- 
ginning to  end  of  that  long  march,  as  well  as 
fought  all  the  battles.  When  the  setting  sun 
of  that  November  day  in  which  the  valley 
of  Cuzco  was  entered  glanced  athwart  the 
helms  and  banners  of  Pizarro 's  army  descend- 
ing the  sierras,  Ferdinand  de  Soto  might  have 
been  seen  well  in  the  van.  He  was  also  the 
first  in  Cuzco,  and  not  the  last  to  engage  in 
68 


THE    REWARD    OF    DEVOTION 

the  sacking  of  the  city,  where  the  spoils  were 
vast,  notwithstanding  much  treasure  had 
been  taken  away  and  secreted.  Plunder, 
chiefly  gold  and  silver,  was  divided  among 
the  common  soldiers  alone  to  the  amount  of 
half  a  million  dollars,  or  above  a  thousand 
dollars  to  each  one,  while  the  officers,  all, 
were  made  affluent  for  life,  if  they  could  but 
keep  the  treasure  they  had  gained. 

There  was  but  one  way  to  do  this,  and  that 
was  to  retire  at  once  from  the  country  where 
the  wealth  had  been  acquired  and  return  to 
Spain.  To  this  sensible  conclusion  came  Fer- 
dinand de  So  to,  and,  as  his  services  were  no 
longer  urgently  required — as,  in  fact,  Pizar- 
ro  would  rather  be  rid  of  him  than  have 
him  remain — he  resolved  to  return.  Some- 
time in  the  summer  of  1534  he  bade  farewell 
to  his  comrades  in  arms  and,  after  making 
the  long  journey  from  Cuzco  to  the  coast, 
embarked  for  Spain.  We  have  no  particu- 
lars of  the  final  scenes  when  De  Soto  and 
his  faithful  troopers  parted  company.  They 
had  been  together  during  years  of  hard  ser- 
vice, had  encountered  dangers,  and  run  the 
gantlet  of  death  many  times  in  company, 
so  it  came  hard,  at  the  end,  to  say  farewell. 
Some  of  his  comrades,  in  truth,  followed  his 

6  69 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

example  and  returned  in  the  same  ship  with 
him  to  Spain,  afterwards  going  with  him 
through  Florida.  All  were  enriched  by  the 
spoils  of  Peru,  and  Ferdinand  himself  took 
back,  according  to  the  old  historian,  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  thousand  cruzados  in  gold, 
or  more  than  half  a  million  dollars. 

Next  we  see  this  hero  of  many  battles  and 
numberless  skirmishes  with  the  Indians  of 
America  at  the  court  of  his  sovereign,  where 
he  was  received  with  great  distinction,  as  the 
most  heroic  figure,  on  the  Spanish  side,  in 
the  conquest  of  Peru.  The  laurels  of  that 
conquest  belong  by  right  to  Francisco  Pizar- 
ro,  and  De  So  to  manifested  no  inclination  to 
snatch  them  from  his  brow ;  but,  as  the  first 
honorable  man  of  importance  to  arrive  in 
Spain  from  Peru,  with  his  pockets  well  lined 
and  his  claim  to  nobility  well  founded,  he 
became  for  a  while  the  observed  of  all  ob- 
servers. 

The  king  not  only  received  him  well,  but 
honored  him  by  accepting  a  loan — which, 
strange  to  say,  he  repaid.  "De  So  to  made 
his  home  in  Seville,  where  he  set  up  in  great 
state,  employing  a  major-domo,  or  superin- 
tendent of  the  household,  'an  usher,  pages, 
chamberlain,  footmen,  and  all  other  req- 


THE    REWARD   OF    DEVOTION 

uisites  for  the  establishment  of  a  gentle- 
man." 

And  it  was  not  a  bachelor  establishment, 
either,  that  he  set  up  in  that  grand  old  city 
by  the  banks  of  the  Guadalquivir,  for,  some 
time  after  his  arrival,  he  took  thither  as  its 
mistress  none  other  than  Dona  Isabel  de 
Soto,  born  Bobadilla,  second  daughter  of  the 
infamous  Pedrarias. 

The  course  of  true  love  had  not  run  very 
smooth  with  these  two  lovers,  but  it  had  run 
a  long  while,  and  nobody  can  with  truth  deny 
that  Ferdinand  was  entitled  to  his  Isabel, 
having  fought  for  her  and  waited  for  her 
fifteen  long  and  weary  years.  In  the  end,  as 
all  true  lovers  will  rejoice  to  learn,  he  was 
successful  in  getting  possession  of  her  hand, 
having  won  it  years  before;  but  it  was  only 
after  the  death  of  Don  Pedro,  who  sought  to 
frustrate  his  designs  by  leaving  his  second 
daughter  penniless. 

The  hardened  old  wretch  had  died,  after 
lingering  long  in  physical  agony  and  mental 
anguish.  His  conscience  was  troubled,  not 
at  the  thought  of  the  misery  he  had  caused 
in  this  world,  but  at  the  prospect  of  what  he 
was  to  receive  in  the  next.  The  only  repara- 
tion he  could  make  (the  priests  at  his  bedside 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

assured  him)  was  a  liberal  donation  to  the 
Church,  and  the  way  in  which  he  did  this  was 
eminently  characteristic  of  the  man  -  fiend 
Pedrarias. 

In  his  gloomy  castle  at  Badajoz,  ever  since 
her  father  had  assassinated  her  affianced  hus- 
band, had  lived  his  eldest  daughter,  Maria. 
She  had  remained  true  to  the  memory  of 
Balboa,  as  her  sister  had  continued  faithful 
to  De  So  to,  and  her  father  rewarded  this 
constancy  by  bequeathing  her  his  vast  fort- 
une, for  the  founding  of  a  nunnery,  over 
which  she  was  to  rule  as  abbess.  Unless  she 
went  into  the  nunnery,  poor  Isabel  was  left 
at  the  mercy  of  the  world,  without  a  centavo 
to  her  name;  but  at  this  juncture  arrived 
Ferdinand  de  So  to  from  Peru,  and  she  be- 
came the  wife  of  a  rich  and  powerful  noble 
and  the  envy  of  her  sex  throughout  all  Spain. 

Thus  far,  in  narrating  the  adventures  of 
De  So  to,  we  have  followed  the  accounts 
which  have  seemed  most  entitled  to  credence ; 
but  all  are  not  alike,  and,  indeed,  some  writ- 
ers have  stated  that  Ferdinand  first  met  his 
wife  at  court,  whither  she  had  gone  with  her 
mother,  the  widow  of  Pedrarias.  Also,  that, 
instead  of  being  at  feud  with  her  father,  he 
had  lived  with  him  in  Nicaragua,  without 
72 


THE    REWARD   OF    DEVOTION 

falling  out  at  all.  Whether  this  be  true  or 
not,  most  of  us  would  rather  believe  that 
Ferdinand  had  met  his  Isabel  in  youth,  and 
was  constant  to  her  throughout,  and  that 
he  returned  to  Spain  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
laying  his  hard-won  fortune  at  her  feet.  Con- 
stancy in  man  is  such  a  rare  jewel,  and  so 
seldom  discovered,  that  we  cannot  refrain 
from  making  the  most  of  that  which  is  said 
to  have  sparkled  on  the  breast  of  Ferdinand 
de  Soto. 

Ferdinand  was  under  forty  years  of  age  at 
the  time  he  settled  down  in  Seville  and  be- 
came a  gentleman  of  leisure.  As  entitled  to 
that  distinction  by  birth,  he  was  made  a 
knight  of  Santiago,  and  felt  bound  to  sustain 
the  dignities  of  his  position  by  a  large  es- 
tablishment and  vast  expenditure.  Within 
two  years  his  fortune  had  been  reduced  more 
than  one-half,  and,  having  become  wearied 
of  inaction,  he  cast  about  for  some  means 
of  replenishing  his  coffers  and  for  a  field  in 
which  to  exercise  his  energies. 

That  field  seemed  to  open  to  him  in  the 
then  boundless  region  called  Florida,  which 
was  in  the  main  unknown,  and  extended  from 
the  most  northern  territory  of  which  the 
Spaniards  had  knowledge  to  the  confines  of 
73 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

Mexico.  Though  Ponce  de  Leon  had  landed 
on  the  coast  of  Florida  in  1513,  and  eight 
years  later  had  received  his  death-wound  in 
a  conflict  with  Indians  there,  little  was  known 
of  the  country  until  the  attempted  conquest 
by  Panfilo  de  Narvaez  in  1527. 

This  unfortunate  Spaniard,  who  had  op- 
posed Cortes  in  Mexico,  where  he  lost  an  eye 
in  the  fight  at  Cempoalla,  obtained  from 
Emperor  Charles  V.  permission  to  conquer 
Florida,  of  which  country  he  was  made 
adelantado,  or  military  governor.  He  landed 
on  its  eastern  coast,  in  a  large  bay  open  to  the 
sea,  with  a  force  of  four  hundred  men  and 
forty  horses.  After  crossing  the  peninsula, 
and  after  enduring  incredible  hardships,  his 
command,  diminished  to  about  one-half  its 
original  strength,  launched  upon  the  waters 
of  the  gulf,  with  the  intention  of  seeking  a 
port  of  Cuba  or  Mexico. 

The  vessels  in  which  Narvaez  and  his  men 
had  sailed  to  Florida  could  not  be  found, 
and  they  constructed  rude  barks  from  the 
wood  of  native  trees,  with  nails  forged  from 
their  bits  and  bridles,  and  sails  made  from 
their  garments.  They  embarked,  it  is  sup- 
posed, in  the  Bay  of  St.  Marks,  and  coasted 
southwardly,  occasionally  landing  and  fight- 
74 


THE    REWARD   OF    DEVOTION 

ing  with  the  Indians  for  food  to  keep  them 
from  starvation.  A  gale  drove  the  boat  in 
which  was  Narvaez  out  to  sea,  and  he  was 
never  heard  of  after,  while  all  the  rest  of  his 
men  save  four  perished  through  shipwreck 
or  starvation.  Nine  years  later,  after  most 
wonderful  adventures  with  various  Indian 
tribes,  these  four  arrived  in  Mexico,  and  in 
1537  one  of  their  number,  Cabeza  de  Vaca, 
met  and  conversed  with  Ferdinand  de  Soto 
in  Spain. 


VI 

ADELANTADO    AND    GOVERNOR 
1538-1539 

IT  was  a  wonderful  story  Cabeza  de  Vaca 
had  to  tell,  of  perils  many  and  narrow 
escapes  from  savage  Indians,  and  as  he  had 
been  ten  years  absent,  all  the  while  exposed 
to  danger,  it  might  have  been  imagined  that 
he  had  endured  enough.  But  no,  Alvar 
Nurio  Cabeza  de  Vaca  was  of  a  piece  with 
the  others  who  had  suffered  in  various  parts 
of  the  New  World.  As  soon  as  he  reached 
home  and  friends,  and  was  surrounded  with 
comforts,  he  reverted  regretfully  to  the  ac- 
tive life  he  had  led  in  the  unknown  country, 
and  thought  sorrowfully  upon  the  chances 
he  had  let  slip  to  become  the  richest  man  in 
the  world. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  worthy  Cabeza  de 

Vaca  (or  Cow's  Head,  as  his  name  might  be 

literally  rendered)  found  nothing  but  hard 

usage  in  the  lands  he  had  explored,  and  re- 

76 


ADELANTADO    AND    GOVERNOR 

turned  without  even  a  grain  of  the  gold  with 
which  his  imagination  filled  them.  But  the 
gold  was  there,  he  convinced  himself  by  fre- 
quently recalling  what  the  various  Indians 
had  told  him;  and  the  air  of  mystery  and 
reserve  which  he  summoned  up  when  ques- 
tioned by  friends  convinced  them,  also,  that 
Senor  Vaca  had  much  to  reveal — if  only  he 
would  reveal  it! 

Especially  impressed  was  De  So  to,  who, 
just  before  the  return  of  Vaca  to  Spain,  had 
secured  from  the  emperor  all  the  rights  and 
titles  in  Florida  which  had  been  vacated  by 
the  death  of  Narvaez.  Emperor  Charles 
was  very  generous  always — with  other  peo- 
ples' properties — and  had  bestowed  this  same 
region  of  Florida — or  the  conquest  of  it — 
first  upon  Ponce  de  Leon,  then  upon  Pan- 
filo  de  Narvaez,  before  he  handed  it  over 
to  De  So  to.  Each  one  of  them  had  offered 
to  explore  and  conquer  it  at  his  own  ex- 
pense, and,  as  this  was  a  consideration  which 
always  had  weight  with  the  emperor,  each 
one  had  been  granted  his  request  as  soon  as 
proffered. 

Like  the  foolish  explorers  before  him,  Fer- 
dinand de  So  to  was  "created"  by  Charles 
adelantado  and  governor  of  Florida,  and,  in 
77 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

addition,  captain-general  of  Cuba,  which  isl- 
and he  desired  as  a  base  of  supplies  in  his  pro- 
jected conquest  of  the  vast  and  far-stretch- 
ing empire  which  he  presumed  to  exist  on 
the  main.  Cabeza  de  Vaca  was  offered  a 
high  position  under  him ;  but  he  himself  de- 
sired a  government  of  his  own,  and  was 
given  that  of  the  Rio  de  la  Plata,  as  a  sop 
for  relinquishing  a  country  where  he  had  en- 
dured unutterable  privations,  and  which  (it 
was  afterwards  hinted)  he  would  not  have 
accepted  on  any  terms. 

De  Soto  was  thenceforth  known  as  the 
adelantado  and  the  governor;  and,  as  titles 
cost  the  emperor  nothing,  he  also  made 
his  favorite  a  marquis,  bestowing  upon  him, 
with  magnificent  liberality,  a  marquisate  in 
Florida,  thirty  leagues  in  length  and  fifteen 
in  breadth — which  was  to  be  won  by  his 
sword. 

When  it  became  noised  abroad  that  the 
gallant  hero  of  Peru  was  about  setting  forth 
on  an  independent  expedition,  recruits  came 
flocking  in  from  every  direction,  attracted 
by  the  splendor  and  magnificence  with  which 
De  Soto  was  surrounded.  The  cavaliers  of 
Spain  vied  with  one  another  in  securing  places 
of  honor,  the  rich  ones  pouring  out  their 
78 


ADELANTADO    AND   GOVERNOR 

money  with  a  lavishness  exceeded  only  by 
that  of  their  leader  himself,  and  the  poor 
ones  being  assisted  by  him  in  procuring  ex- 
travagant equipments. 

One  day,  as  he  was  about  sitting  down 
to  dinner,  a  brilliant  band  of  Portuguese  hi- 
dalgos came  clattering  into  the  court-yard 
of  his  great  house  in  Seville.  They  were  su- 
perbly mounted  and  clad  in  polished  armor. 
Descending  from  the  gallery  overlooking  the 
court,  De  So  to  gracefully  welcomed  them  and 
invited  the  whole  party  to  dinner,  afterwards 
sending  out  his  major-domo  to  secure  for 
them  the  best  quarters  in  the  city.  Thus  the 
cavaliers  gathered  around  him,  and  in  the 
course  of  a  year  the  equipment  was  com- 
plete. Nearly  a  thousand  persons  assembled 
at  the  port  of  San  Lucar,  in  April,  1538, 
whence  sailed  De  Soto's  magnificent  expedi- 
tion, comprised  of  ten  vessels,  large  and  small. 
The  governor  and  his  wife,  together  with  their 
brilliant  retinue,  embarked  in  the  San  Cris- 
tobal, of  eight  hundred  tons,  and  the  fleet  set 
sail,  to  the  blare  of  trumpets  and  amid  sal- 
vos of  artillery. 

Two  weeks  later  the  vessels  dropped  anch- 
or off  Gomera,  in  the  Canary  Islands,  arriv- 
ing there  on  Easter  Sunday.  The  governor 
79 


FERDINAND   DE    SOTO 

of  the  island,  the  Count  of  Gomera  (wrote 
one  of  the  Portuguese  hidalgos  in  this  gallant 
company),  "was  apparelled  all  in  white  — 
cloak,  jerkin,  hose,  shoes,  and  cap — so  that 
he  looked  like  a  governor  of  gypsies.  He 
received  the  adelantado  with  much  pleas- 
ure, lodging  him  well,  and  the  rest  with 
him,  gratuitously.  To  Dona  Isabel  he  gave 
a  natural  daughter  of  his  to  be  a  waiting- 
maid,"  and  entertained  the  entire  company 
right  joyously  for  a  week. 

There  were  twenty-four  ecclesiastics  aboard 
ship  —  monks,  priests,  and  clerics  —  and  a 
large  number  of  young  nobles  sumptuously 
arrayed,  with  silken  doublets  and  cassocks, 
"silk  over  silk,"  and  with  retinues  of  servile 
attendants.  The  reverendos  did  not  seek  to 
mar  the  festivities,  for  they  were  going  out 
merely  to  convert  the  heathen ;  while  the  cav- 
aliers, many  of  them,  devoted  themselves  to 
Dona  Isabel  and  the  attractive  damsels  in 
her  train. 

Among  them  all  there  was  none  more 
beautiful  than  the  daughter  of  the  Count  of 
Gomera,  who  was  less  a  "  serving-maid  "  than 
companion  to  the  fair  Isabel,  and  who,  be- 
fore the  voyage  was  over,  won  the  heart  of 
a  cavalier  named  Nuno  de  Tobar.  He  was 
80 


ADELANTADO   AND   GOVERNOR 

one  of  the  men  who  had  returned  from  Peru 
with  De  So  to,  his  fortune  made  and  the  best 
of  his  life  still  before  him.  Tobar  went  out 
as  lieutenant-general  in  the  expedition;  but 
when,  after  arriving  in  Cuba,  De  Soto  found 
that  he  had  been  trifling  with  the  affections  of 
the  lovely  Leonora,  daughter  of  the  count,  he 
was  summarily  deposed. 

Ferdinand  and  his  wife  regarded  Leonora 
in  the  light  of  a  daughter,  having  none  of 
their  own,  and  were  wounded  to  the  quick  by 
the  ungallant  behavior  of  Tobar.  It  is  said 
that  De  Soto,  in  addition  to  deposing  Tobar, 
challenged  him  to  mortal  combat,  as  having 
committed  an  affront  which  could  only  be 
palliated  by  the  shedding  of  blood.  As  such 
an  encounter,  with  one  whose  sword  was  in- 
vincible, was  equivalent  to  a  sentence  of 
execution,  the  young  man  begged  for  mercy, 
promising  to  make  every  reparation  in  his 
power.  His  life  was  contemptuously  grant- 
ed him;  but  he  never  recovered  the  con- 
fidence of  his  commander,  though  he  served 
him  long  and  well. 

This  untoward  incident  had  not  developed, 

fortunately,  before  the  arrival  of  the  fleet  at 

Santiago  de  Cuba,  which  port  was  reached 

at  the  end  of  a  month  after  leaving  Gomera, 

81 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

where  the  new  governor  was  received  with 
great  rejoicings.  The  festivities  conducted 
by  the  wealthy  residents  of  Santiago  lasted 
nearly  a  week,  and  consisted  of  bull  -  fights, 
horse-racing,  and  tournaments  by  day,  with 
banquets,  balls,  and  theatrical  displays  by 
night.  The  planters  of  the  island  came  into 
town  with  numerous  fine  horses,  which  they 
presented  to  such  cavaliers  as  were  in  need 
of  them,  and,  in  fact,  to  many  who  had  not, 
so  that  some  of  the  noblemen  possessed  three 
or  four  each,  all  of  them  mettlesome  chargers, 
finely  caparisoned. 

These  planters  vied  with  one  another  in 
extending  hospitalities  to  the  new  arrivals, 
sending  horses  and  mules  for  the  governor 
and  his  lady,  with  their  suites,  to  ride  out  to 
their  estates  in  the  country,  where  they  were 
entertained  in  baronial  style.  Among  these 
gentry  there  was  one  Vasco  Porcallo,  who 
lived  near  the  town  of  Trinidad,  having  a  vast 
estate,  which  he  had  bought  with  the  proceeds 
of  long  years  spent  in  fighting  the  enemies  of 
Spain.  He  had  thought  to  settle  there  for 
life,  and  had  surrounded  himself  with  every 
luxury  that  money  could  purchase  in  that 
lonely  island.  But  on  his  visit  to  Santiago 
he  met  so  many  kindred  spirits  and  saw  so 
82 


ADELANTADO   AND   GOVERNOR 

much  that  reminded  him  of  his  fighting  days 
that  he  caught  the  enthusiasm  of  the  cava- 
liers and  volunteered  his  services  to  De  Soto, 
out  of  hand.  As  he  had  great  wealth  and  a 
lavish  disposition,  and,  moreover,  was  pos- 
sessed of  military  skill,  De  Soto  accepted 
his  offer  at  once.  He  was  made  lieutenant- 
general,  in  place  of  Tobar,  and  was  so  elated 
thereby  that  he  showered  the  army  with  his 
gifts.  He  gave  a  vast  amount  of  provisions 
to  the  fleet,  and  contributed  heavily  to  its 
armament,  besides  presenting  to  various  cav- 
aliers who  took  his  fancy  more  than  fifty 
blooded  horses.  Thirty-six  horses  were  in- 
cluded in  the  outfit  he  took  with  him  to 
Florida,  and  a  great  number  of  Indian  and 
negro  servants  and  slaves. 

All  Cuba  was  aflame  over  the  approaching 
conquest  of  the  peninsula,  which  lay  but  a 
comparatively  short  distance  away,  yet  had 
never  been  explored.  Nearly  forty  years 
had  passed  since  Columbus  discovered  the 
Bahamas  and  Cuba,  thirty  since  the  latter 
was  circumnavigated,  and  twenty -five  since 
its  people  were  subjugated.  Yet  Florida, 
only  a  few  miles  distant  across  the  Gulf 
Stream,  still  existed  as  a  wilderness  await- 
ing the  coming  of  its  conqueror. 
83 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

Sending  his  fleet  around  to  Havana,  where 
Dona  Isabel  was  instructed  to  await  his  arri- 
val, De  Soto  spent  three  months  in  a  careful 
inspection  of  the  island,  acquainting  himself 
with  its  resources  and  accumulating  supplies 
for  his  expedition.  Travelling  overland  from 
Santiago,  by  the  way  of  Trinidad  and  Puerto 
Principe,  the  governor  arrived  at  Havana 
towards  the  end  of  August,  and  there  re- 
mained several  months,  attending  to  the 
needs  of  the  people  and  establishing  his  gov- 
ernment on  a  sure  foundation. 

The  commerce  of  Cuba  had  risen  to  such 
proportions  as  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
Caribbean  corsairs,  who  had  assailed  both 
Havana  and  Santiago;  thus  much  repairing 
of  fortifications  and  planning  of  new  ones 
was  necessary,  to  secure  the  island  from  their 
depredations. 

During  this  while,  a  small  vessel,  with  a 
selected  crew  under  Juan  de  Anasco,  was 
engaged  in  cruising  the  Floridian  waters  in 
search  of  a  harbor  commodious  enough  for 
the  fleet.  This  was  found,  after  several 
months  of  dangerous  navigating  among  the 
shoals  and  cays  of  the  Florida  Reefs.  Two 
voyages  were  made  before  the  end  was 
attained,  and  on  the  second  trip  the  frail 
84 


ADELANTADO   AND   GOyERNOR 

craft  came  near  foundering,  for  a  tempest 
assailed  her,  and  the  crew  passed  two  months 
on  an  uninhabited  islet,  where  their  only 
subsistence  consisted  of  raw  shell -fish  and 
wild  fowl  which  they  killed  with  stones  and 
clubs. 

This  venture  of  Anasco's  was  the  fifth  or 
sixth  that  had  come  to  grief  on  the  coast  of 
Florida,  and  it  did  not  augur  well  for  the  next 
one.  No  one  can  say,  however,  that  Ferdi- 
nand de  Soto  did  not  use  great  caution  and 
care  in  opening  the  way  for  his  expedition, 
even  though  it  ended  in  greater  ruin  and 
disaster  than  any  other  that  had  preceded  it 
in  America. 

The  winter  of  1538-1539  passed  away,  with 
the  cavaliers  in  Cuba  worn  to  desperation 
from  lack  of  employment  and  sighing  for  a 
sight  of  the  land  for  which  they  had  set  out 
so  many  months  before.  It  was  not  until 
May,  1539,  that  De  Soto  finally  set  his  sails 
for  Florida,  more  than  a  year  after  he  had 
departed  from  Spain. 

Just  as  he  was  getting  his  last  supply  of 
sea-stores  aboard,  in  the  harbor  of  Havana, 
a  ship  came  into  port  bearing  as  its  most 
important  passenger  an  old  comrade  of  his, 
Hernan  Ponce,  with  whom  he  had  been  most 
85 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

intimately  associated  in  Peru.  In  truth, 
these  two  had  formed  a  sort  of  partnership, 
common  in  those  days,  by  which  they  had 
agreed  to  share  equally  all  gains,  honors,  etc., 
that  might  be  acquired  by  either.  Ponce 
was  now  on  his  way  to  Spain,  with  a  fortune 
in  gold  and  gems,  which  he  was  by  no  means 
willing  to  share  with  De  Soto,  who,  by  the 
terms  of  their  agreement,  was  entitled  to  the 
half  of  it.  By  the  same  terms,  Ponce  was 
also  entitled  to  his  moiety  of  De  Soto's 
estate,  and,  as  well,  to  participate  in  the 
honors  which  had  been  showered  upon  him 
by  his  sovereign. 

These,  indeed,  the  open-handed  De  Soto 
proffered  to  Ponce;  but  the  latter  professed 
himself  as  satisfied,  and  content  to  leave 
matters  as  they  were.  But  his  former  part- 
ner delayed  his  voyage  for  the  sake  of  honor- 
ing him,  took  him  to  his  palace  on  shore, 
seated  him  at  his  table,  and  proclaimed  that 
his  ancient  comrade,  Hernan  Ponce,  was 
henceforth  to  be  addressed  as  "governor" 
and  to  receive  the  same  attentions  as  him- 
self. 

Still,  Senor  Ponce  was  uneasy,  for  some- 
thing seemed  to  prey  upon  his  mind.  Going 
aboard  his  vessel  in  the  harbor,  in  the  dead 
86 


ADELANTADO    AND    GOVERNOR 

of  night,  he  caused  several  large  boxes  filled 
with  gems  to  be  taken  ashore,  where  he  had 
them  buried,  for  fear  that  De  Soto  would 
discover  his  wealth  and  insist  upon  his  share. 
But  the  frank  yet  wary  Ferdinand  had  sus- 
pected something  of  the  kind,  and  had 
stationed  sentinels  on  the  watch,  who  sur- 
prised Sefior  Ponce  at  his  task,  and,  driving 
him  away,  bore  off  the  treasure  in  triumph. 
It  was  taken  to  the  governor,  unknown,  of 
course,  to  Ponce,  who  let  his  troubles  be 
known,  the  following  day,  over  the  wine  at 
dinner.  De  Soto  whispered  a  word  to  his 
major  -  domo,  who  went  out  and  soon  re- 
turned with  the  stolen  coffers  intact. 

"Are  these  your  gems?"  he  asked,  indig- 
nantly ;  "  and  did  you  bury  them  in  order  to 
deprive  me  of  my  portion  ?  Take  them,  then, 
and  as  promptly  as  possible  sail  with  them 
to  Spain.  My  own  fortune,  my  titles,  and 
my  honors  I  consider  also  yours,  and  have 
executed  writings  to  that  effect.  Even  now, 
I  say,  will  you  share  with  me  in  the  con- 
quest?" 

The  humiliated  Ponce  protested  that  he 

desired  nothing  more  than  what  he  had,  and, 

to  show  that  he  held  his  comrade  in  esteem, 

begged  that  he  be  allowed  to  present  Dona 

87 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

Isabel  with  ten  thousand  dollars'  worth  of 
gems.  This  generous  proffer  De  Soto,  with  a 
laugh  in  his  sleeve,  consented  to  accept,  and 
the  gems  were  duly  delivered  to  the  fair  lady. 
But  there  is  a  sequel  to  this  transaction. 
After  De  Soto  had  sailed,  and  was  well  on 
his  way  to  Florida,  the  wily  Ponce  demanded 
his  jewels  back,  asserting  that  they  had  been 
obtained  by  fraud.  Dona  Isabel  sagely  re- 
plied that  they  were  in  her  possession ;  that 
Hernan  Ponce  owed  her  husband  far  more 
than  they  were  worth,  on  old  debts,  for 
which  he  was  liable  to  arrest,  and  arrested  he 
should  be  forthwith.  On  receipt  of  which 
discouraging  information  he  promptly  de- 
parted for  Spain. 


VII 

THE    LANDING    IN    FLORIDA 
1539 

DE  SOTO'S  fleet,  in  which  he  sailed  from 
Havana  for  Florida,  on  Sunday,  May 
1 8,  1539,  consisted  of  five  large  vessels,  two 
pinnaces,  and  two  caravels.  Dona  Isabel 
greatly  desired  to  accompany  the  expedition, 
but  was  compelled  to  remain  in  Cuba  as 
regent.  With  her  were  left  the  wives  of 
Nuno  de  Tobar,  of  Don  Carlos,  who  had 
married  a  niece  of  De  Soto,  and  of  Baltasar 
de  Gallegos,  who  had  sacrificed  a  fine  vine- 
yard in  Spain  in  order  to  gratify  his  ambi- 
tion to  be  a  soldier. 

The  castle-tower  is  still  pointed  out  in 
Havana  from  the  battlements  of  which 
these  sorrowing  wives  waved  farewell  to  the 
fleet  as  it  ploughed  its  way  into  the  open 
sea.  It  was  to  be  a  last  farewell  for  Dona 
Isabel,  who  never  set  eyes  on  Ferdinand 
again.  Fifteen  years  she  had  waited  for  this 
89 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

— to  be  united,  at  last,  to  the  chosen  com- 
panion of  her  heart,  only  to  be  separated 
from  him,  after  a  short  period  of  wedded 
bliss,  then  to  lose  him  forever.  He  sailed 
away  with  that  gallant  company,  and  the 
wilderness  swallowed  him  up. 

Thanks  to  the  precautions  De  Soto  had 
taken,  a  safe  harbor  was  made  in  the  great 
bay  of  Espiritu  Santo,  on  the  west  coast 
of  Florida,  which  was  reached  on  May  25th. 
It  is  now  known  as  Tampa  Bay,  and  at 
present  is  a  nourishing  winter  resort,  between 
which  and  Havana  frequent  steamers  per- 
form the  voyage  in  a  few  hours,  which  in 
De  Soto's  time  consumed  a  week.  There 
were  nearly  a  thousand  men  in  the  expedi- 
tion, with  three  hundred  and  fifty  horses,  so 
the  debarkation  was  a  slow  and  toilsome 
process,  and  was  not  accomplished  until  the 
last  of  May. 

During  this  time  the  savages  on  shore 
had  not  been  inactive,  for  they  were  alert 
and  vigorous,  expert  in  the  use  of  bow-and- 
arrows,  and  efficient  with  their  war-clubs. 
They  had  watched  the  progress  of  the  fleet 
as  it  sailed  along  the  coast,  as  numerous 
signal-smokes  attested,  and  by  the  time  it 
had  come  to  anchor  were  gathered  to  oppose 
90 


THE    LANDING    IN    FLORIDA 

a  landing.  But  they  had  not  shown  them- 
selves, though  lying  in  ambush  in  the  forest, 
and  the  first  detachment  of  soldiers,  about 
three  hundred  in  number,  camped  on  the 
beach  without  taking  any  precautions  against 
surprise. 

The  night  air  was  warm  and  filled  with  the 
fragrance  of  a  thousand  flowers,  so  the  sol- 
diers threw  themselves  upon  the  sands  and 
slept,  wherever  they  could  find  a  couch  pre- 
pared by  nature.  Just  before  dawn  they 
were  awakened  by  the  war-whoops  of  the 
savages,  who  broke  upon  them  without  other 
warning,  out  of  the  darkness,  and  wounded 
several  with  their  javelins  and  arrows.  So 
suddenly  aroused,  and  attacked  by  an  un- 
seen enemy,  the  troops  were  thrown  into 
confusion,  and,  instead  of  making  a  counter- 
attack, crowded  tumultuously  to  the  shore. 

There  was  then  a  hasty  buckling -on  of 
armor  and  grasping  of  weapons  on  board 
ship,  each  cavalier  being  spurred  to  action 
by  the  terrible  tumult  ashore.  Into  the 
boats  tumbled  the  doughty  warriors,  burning 
to  have  a  brush  with  the  enemy,  and  as  dawn 
broke  and  revealed  the  Indians  they  leaped 
ashore  and  charged  upon  them  with  great 
shouts.  Among  the  foremost  of  those  to  the 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

rescue  was  Lieutenant-General  Porcallo,  who 
seized  and  mounted  the  first  horse  he  could 
find  and  led  the  charge.  He  was  sustained 
by  seven  troopers  only;  but  these  were  suf- 
ficient to  put  the  savages  to  flight,  and  the 
lusty  Porcallo,  having  pursued  them  for  quite 
a  distance  into  the  forest,  soon  returned  to 
the  beach,  brandishing  his  lance  and  loudly 
vaunting  his  victory.  While  in  the  midst  of 
his  boastings,  his  gallant  steed  staggered  and 
fell  to  the  ground  stone  dead,  having  been 
shot  through  the  ribs  by  an  Indian  arrow. 
Then  the  boastings  of  Porcallo  were  louder 
than  ever,  and  he  did  not  fail  to  call  attention 
to  the  fact  that  his  horse  was  the  first  to  fall 
in  battle  with  the  pagans,  and  his  weapon  the 
first  to  be  turned  against  them. 

The  Spaniards  were  astonished  at  the 
force  with  which  the  arrow  that  pierced  the 
horse  had  been  sent,  and  gathered  around 
to  examine  the  unfortunate  beast.  As  to 
the  Indians,  says  the  chronicler  of  the  ex- 
pedition, "  they  are  exceedingly  ready  with 
their  weapons,  and  so  warlike  and  nimble 
that  they  have  no  fear  at  all  of  infantry ;  for 
if  these  charge  upon  them  they  flee,  but  when 
they  turn  their  backs  are  soon  again  upon 
them.  They  avoid  nothing  more  easily  than 
92 


THE    LANDING    IN    FLORIDA 

the  flight  of  an  arrow,  and  as  they  are  con- 
tinually running  about  and  in  motion,  neither 
arquebuse  nor  cross-bow  can  be  aimed  at 
them  with  effect.  Before  a  Christian  can 
make  a  single  shot  with  either,  an  Indian  will 
discharge  three  or  four  arrows;  and  he  sel- 
dom misses  his  aim.  Where  the  arrow  meets 
with  no  armor,  it  pierces  as  deeply  as  the 
shaft  from  a  cross-bow.  Their  bows  are  very 
perfect,  while  the  arrows  are  made  of  certain 
canes,  like  reeds,  so  heavy  and  rigid  that 
when  their  ends  are  sharpened  they  will  pass 
through  a  shield.  Some  are  pointed  with  the 
bone  of  a  fish,  sharp  and  like  a  chisel ;  others 
have  a  stone,  like  the  point  of  a  diamond." 

This  testimony  as  to  the  bravery  of  the 
Floridian  savages  and  the  efficacy  of  their 
weapons  is  very  important.  It  gives  us  an 
idea  of  the  kind  of  people  De  Soto  encoun- 
tered at  the  outset.  Instead  of  finding  them 
less  warlike,  as  he  progressed  with  the  in- 
vasion, he  was  to  experience  yet  greater 
resistance  from  the  natives  of  the  interior. 
An  Indian  village  was  discovered  near  the 
shore,  but  deserted,  at  one  end  of  which  was 
a  sort  of  temple,  having  a  wooden  fowl  with 
"gilded  eyes"  perched  upon  it,  and  at  the 
other  was  the  dwelling  of  the  chief,  or 
93 


FERDINAND   DE    SOTO 

cacique.  This  dwelling  occupied  the  summit 
of  a  great  artificial  mound,  probably  a  con- 
struction of  the  mysterious  "mound-build- 
ers," who,  however,  had  passed  away  before 
the  advent  of  the  Spaniards  in  America.  A 
few  pearls  were  found  within  the  temple, 
but  they  were  of  little  value,  having  been 
injured  by  fire.  De  Soto  was  to  find  bushels 
of  such  pearls  later  in  his  journey,  and  he 
looked  upon  these  as  promising  evidences  of 
the  country's  richness. 

After  the  troops  and  munitions  had  been 
landed,  the  governor  took  up  his  residence 
in  the  chief's  house,  and  lodged  his  soldiers 
in  the  huts  that  were  grouped  about  the 
great  mound.  This  mound,  by  the  way,  is 
said  to  exist  to-day,  and  is  one  of  the  objects 
by  which  the  place  of  debarkation  and  the 
subsequent  wanderings  of  the  Spaniards 
have  been  traced.  The  forest  growth  was 
cleared  away  "for  the  distance  of  a  bow- 
shot" around  the  mound  and  village,  and, 
while  the  great  camp  was  being  put  in  order, 
De  Soto  sent  out  messengers  to  find  the 
cacique,  whose  name,  an  Indian  captive  told 
him,  was  Ucita.  But  Ucita  was  not  only 
wary,  he  was  fierce  and  crafty.  Moreover,  he 
was  greatly  incensed  against  all  Spaniards, 
94 


THE    LANDING    IN    FLORIDA 

on  account  of  a  fiendish  act  committed  by 
Narvaez  when  in  Florida.  Enraged  at  some 
action  of  the  cacique,  he  had  caused  his  nose 
to  be  cut  off,  and,  not  content  with  this  act 
of  cruelty,  he  had  cast  Ucita's  poor  old 
mother  to  the  dogs,  to  be  torn  to  pieces  before 
his  very  eyes. 

The  cacique  had  sworn  vengeance  upon 
every  Spaniard  who  should  fall  into  his 
hands,  and  had  already  sacrificed  several  un- 
fortunates who  had  been  lured  ashore  by 
stratagem  about  twelve  years  previous  to  the 
arrival  of  De  Soto.  The  wife  of  Narvaez  had 
been  left  behind  in  Cuba  when  her  husband 
sailed  for  Florida,  and,  becoming  alarmed  at 
his  long  absence,  had  sent  a  pinnace  with  a 
score  of  men  to  get  news  of  him.  They  ar- 
rived at  Tampa  Bay,  and,  sailing  near  to 
shore,  saw  a  folded  paper,  evidently  a  letter, 
in  the  cleft  end  of  a  reed  stuck  in  the  sands. 
The  Spaniards  naturally  supposed  this  might 
be  a  letter  left  by  Narvaez,  before  he  set  out 
on  his  disastrous  march,  and  a  boat  contain- 
ing four  men  was  sent  ashore  to  get  it.  The 
moment  the  keel  struck  the  sands  a  horde  of 
savages  rushed  out  from  ambush  and,  sur- 
rounding the  men,  took  them  to  their  village. 
At  sight  of  this,  the  cowardly  crew  aboard 
95 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

the  pinnace  made  all  haste  to  sail  away,  leav- 
ing the  miserable  captives  to  their  fate,  which 
was  a  horrible  one,  indeed. 

The  Indians  belonged  to  Ucita's  band,  and 
when  that  savage  found  these  hated  white 
men  in  his  clutches  he  resolved  to  put  them 
to  the  torture.  Three  of  them  were  shot  to 
death  with  arrows,  their  sufferings  being 
prolonged  as  much  as  possible,  but  the  fourth 
was  stretched  upon  a  wooden  frame  in  the 
shape  of  a  gridiron  over  a  fire.  He  was  a 
young  man,  hardly  eighteen  years  of  age,  and 
'came  of  a  noble  family  that  lived  in  Seville. 
As  the  cruel  flames  scorched  his  skin  he  cried 
out  in  agony,  and  the  heart  of  the  cacique's 
daughter  was  touched  with  pity.  She  was  a 
comely  maiden,  much  beloved  by  the  chief, 
and  though  his  vengeance  was  far  from 
satisfied  he  listened  to  her  entreaties.  He 
released  his  captive,  and,  after  directing  that 
his  wounds  should  be  dressed,  sent  him  out  to 
watch  the  graves  in  a  cemetery.  It  was  a 
lonely  spot,  in  the  depths  of  a  forest ;  but  the 
youth  felt  more  secure  amid  the  dead,  and 
surrounded  by  wild  beasts,  than  in  the 
presence  of  the  chief.  His  duty  was  to  pre- 
vent the  prowling  beasts  of  prey  from  robbing 
the  shallow  graves  of  their  contents,  and  so 
96 


THE    LANDING    IN    FLORIDA 

he  was  given  a  bow  and  arrows,  and  warned 
that  if  one  corpse  was  removed  he  should  be 
burned  alive. 

One  night,  overcome  by  weariness,  he  fell 
asleep,  and  was  awakened  by  the  falling  of  a 
coffin-lid,  only  in  time  to  see  an  animal  mak- 
ing off  with  the  body  of  a  boy,  son  of  a  man 
of  consequence  in  the  tribe.  The  night  was 
very  dark,  but  he  let  fly  an  arrow  and  shot 
the  beast,  which  proved  to  be  a  panther, 
through  the  heart.  His  prowess  was  greatly 
admired  by  the  Indians,  and  for  a  time  se- 
cured him  immunity  from  harm  at  the  hands 
of  the  cacique;  but  the  time  came  when  the 
latter  determined  to  carry  out  the  sentence 
of  death,  and  the  captive  was  warned  by  the 
daughter  to  fly  for  protection  to  a  neighbor- 
ing chief,  named  Mocoso.  This  cacique  was 
in  love  with  Ucita's  daughter,  and  for  her 
sake,  she  assured  the  youth,  he  would  be 
welcomed  and  sheltered  from  harm.  He 
succeeded  in  reaching  Mocoso's  territory,  and  * 
was  warmly  received  by  the  chieftain,  who 
soon  became  greatly  attached  to  the  captive, 
whom  he  stoutly  defended  when  Ucita  at- 
tempted to  regain  his  prisoner  for  the  purpose 
of  putting  him  to  death.  He  thus  incurred 
the  enmity  of  Cacique  Ucita,  who  leagued  his 
97 


FERDINAND   DE    SOTO 

brother  chiefs  against  him  and  ravaged  his 
territory,  but  without  forcing  him  to  give  up 
the  young  Spaniard. 

All  these  particulars  were  related  to  De 
Soto,  who  was  naturally  desirous  of  securing 
the  release  of  a  fellow-countryman,  and  sent 
a  troop  of  lancers  into  Mocoso's  country  for 
that  purpose.  It  happened  that  about  the 
same  time  the  young  man,  whose  name  was 
Juan  Ortiz,  heard  of  the  arrival  of  Spaniards 
in  the  bay  of  Espiritu  Santo,  and  begged  his 
master  to  allow  him  to  join  them.  The 
generous  savage  not  only  gave  his  consent, 
but  sent  him  to  the  coast  with  an  escort  and 
a  message  of  welcome  to  the  strangers,  say- 
ing: "Go  to  the  chieftain  of  this  great  army 
which  has  landed  on  our  shores.  Tell  him 
what  I  have  done  for  you,  and  entreat  him, 
in  return,  not  to  lay  waste  my  territory  nor 
do  harm  to  my  people.  In  setting  you  free, 
while  you  were  in  my  power,  I  shall  hope  to 
win  the  favor  of  your  great  lord,  whose 
alliance  I  would  fain  secure  against  the 
enemies  I  have  made  on  your  account." 

Juan  Ortiz  and  his  escort  encountered  the 
lancers  sent  in  search  of  him  as  they  were 
emerging  from  a  dense  forest,  and  the  meet- 
ing is  described  by  Rodrigo  Ran j el,  De  Soto's 
98 


THE    LANDING    IN    FLORIDA 

secretary,  who  wrote  a  narrative  of  the  ex- 
pedition, in  the  manner  following:  "Towards 
sunset,  being  off  their  road,  because  the 
Indian  who  was  their  guide  led  them  wan- 
dering and  confused,  it  pleased  God  that  they 
[the  troopers]  descried  at  a  distance  some 
twenty  Indians,  painted  with  a  kind  of  red 
ointment  that  these  Indians  put  on  when  they 
go  to  war  or  wish  to  make  a  fine  appearance. 
They  wore  many  feathers  and  had  their  bows 
and  arrows.  And  when  the  Christians  ran 
at  them  the  Indians  fled  to  a  hill,  and  one  of 
them  came  forth  into  the  path,  lifting  up  his 
voice  and  saying:  'Sirs,  for  the  love  of  God 
and  the  holy  Mary,  slay  not  me ;  for  I  am  a 
Christian  like  yourselves,  and  was  born  in 
Seville,  and  my  name  is  Juan  Ortiz.'  The 
delight  of  the  Christians  was  very  great,  in 
God's  having  given  them  a  tongue  and  a 
guide,  of  which,  at  that  time,  they  were  in 
great  need;  and,  with  every  one  very  much 
elated,  Baltasar  de  Gallegos  [the  commander] 
and  all  the  Indians  who  came  with  him,  re- 
turned that  night  very  late  to  the  camp." 

The  governor  received  Juan  Ortiz  like  a 

son  who  had  been  given  up  for  lost,  seated 

him  on  his  right  at  table,  and  ordered  that  he 

should  be  fully  equipped,  with  fine  apparel, 

99 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

the  best  of  armor,  and  an  excellent  horse. 
Thenceforth  he  was  one  of  the  most  honored 
men  in  the  command,  and,  as  he  had  a  good 
knowledge  of  the  Indian  language  as  spoken 
in  Florida,  he  became  invaluable  as  an  in- 
terpreter. 

The  numerical  strength  of  De  Soto's  army  in  Florida 
is  variously  given,  as  follows:  "  A  thousand  men  and  350 
horses,"  Theodore  Irving;  the  same,  J.  S.  C.  Abbott; 
"570  men,  223  horses,"  J.  G.  Shea;  "nearly  a  thou- 
sand," Rev.  E.  E.  Hale;  "mil  hombres"  (1000  men), 
Cronau,  Spanish  edition;  "600,"  Encyclopedia  Brit- 
annica,  Chambers'  Encyclopaedia,  and  Hakluyt;  "  570 
men,  not  including  the  sailors  " — fully  700,  Ranjel  and 
the  Fidalgo;  "  620  men,  223  horses,"  Biedma. 


VIII 

IN   THE   FLORIDIAN   FORESTS 
1539 

CERDINAND  DE  SOTO  himself  wrote, 
1  respecting  the  acquisition  of  Juan  Ortiz : 
"We  rejoice  no  little  over  this  interpreter, 
for  he  speaks  the  language;  and  although 
he  had  forgotten  his  own,  yet  it  returned 
to  him.  .  .  .  He  puts  a  new  life  into  us,  in 
affording  the  means  of  our  understanding 
these  people,  for  without  him  I  know  not 
what  would  become  of  us.  Glory  be  to  God, 
who  by  His  goodness  has  directed  all,  so  that 
it  appears  as  if  He  had  taken  this  enterprise 
in  His  especial  keeping!" 

This  letter  of  De  Soto's  was  written  July 
9,  1539,  at  the  port  of  Espiritu  Santo,  to  the 
magistrates  whom  he  had  left  in  charge  of 
affairs  in  Cuba.  In  it,  also,  he  makes  men- 
tion of  what  little  information  had  been  ob- 
tained, through  Juan  Ortiz,  respecting  the 
inland  region  which  he  purposed  to  explore: 

8  IOX 


FERDINAND   DE   SOTO 

"There  is  a  town  called  Ocalla,  where  is  an 
abundance  of  fowl,  a  multitude  of  turkeys, 
kept  in  pens,  and  herds  of  tame  deer  that  are 
tended.  What  this  means  I  do  not  under- 
stand, unless  they  be  cattle,  of  which  we 
brought  the  knowledge  with  us.  He  says, 
also,  there  are  many  trades  among  that  peo- 
ple, an  abundance  of  gold  and  silver,  and 
many  pearls.  May  it  please  God  that  this 
be  so ;  for  of  what  these  Indians  say  I  believe 
nothing  but  what  I  see ;  although  they  know, 
and  have  it  for  a  saying,  that  if  they  lie  to 
me  it  will  cost  them  their  lives!" 

We  thus  have  a  pen-picture  of  De  Soto 
at  this  time,  sketched  by  himself.  We  find 
him,  at  the  outset  of  this  great  adventure, 
disposed  to  be  just  towards  the  Indians,  but 
at  the  same  time  inclined  to  exact  of  them 
the  "pound  of  flesh,"  even  though  their 
lives  be  sacrificed.  Oviedo  the  historian  says 
that  he  "was  much  given  to  the  sport  of 
slaying  Indians,  from  the  time  that  he  went 
on  military  expeditions  with  the  governor, 
Pedrarias  Davila,  in  the  provinces  of  Castilla 
del  Oro  and  of  Nicaragua";  but,  if  what  we 
have  been  able  to  discover  is  true,  he  was  not 
greatly  given  to  this  "  sport "  previous  to  the 
year  1540.  As  he  became  entangled  in  the 
102 


IN    THE    FLORIDIAN    FORESTS 

morasses  of  Florida,  with  faint  prospect  of 
emerging  with  either  the  gold  he  sought  or 
the  honors  he  hoped  to  gain,  his  disposition 
grew  morose.  Such  Indians  as  then  fell 
into  his  hands  fared  badly. 

It  was,  doubtless,  gold  that  De  Soto  craved 
above  all  other  things;  but  he  had  no  as- 
surance, either  in  what  had  been  revealed 
by  Narvaez  or  by  information  obtained  from 
Juan  Ortiz,  that  gold  existed  in  the  country. 
Pearls  there  were,  said  honest  Juan,  but  no 
gold,  so  far  as  his  knowledge  went.  Yet, 
with  the  gaining  of  gold  as  his  object, 
Ferdinand  de  Soto  set  out  from  Espiritu 
Santo  on  one  of  the  most  desperate  and 
protracted  wanderings  known  to  history. 
Sending  his  largest  vessels  back  to  Havana, 
and  retaining  only  two  brigantines  and  a 
caravel  for  coast  service,  thus  cutting  off  all 
hopes  of  a  speedy  return  that  might  be  in- 
dulged in  by  his  men,  the  governor  struck 
inland  from  the  great  bay  about  the  mid- 
dle of  July.  He  had  not  found  the  region 
roundabout  sufficiently  fertile  for  a  settle- 
ment, so  he  took  with  him  on  the  march  a 
drove  of  three  hundred  hogs,  which  had  been 
intended  for  the  settlers,  and  nearly  all  the 
horses.  A  valiant  veteran,  Pedro  Calderon, 
103 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

was  left  as  commander  of  the  port,  and  with 
him  thirty  cavalry  and  seventy  infantry, 
provisioned  for  two  years. 

De  Soto  gave  the  order  and  the  irregular 
columns  were  soon  in  motion,  the  cavalry  in 
advance,  the  infantry  bringing  up  the  rear, 
with  the  drove  of  swine  straggling  along  in 
charge  of  herders  specially  detailed  for  the 
purpose.  This  herd  of  swine  was  regarded 
as  the  mainstay  of  the  army,  in  case  starva- 
tion should  threaten ;  but  was  to  be  reserved 
to  the  last,  as  a  nucleus  for  the  colony's  live- 
stock. 

No  more  brilliant  pageant  has  ever  been 
seen  in  Florida  than  this  assemblage  of  mailed 
knights  and  footmen,  with  shining  helms, 
prancing  steeds,  flaunting  banners,  and  glis- 
tening weapons.  It  was  a  company  such 
as  might  have  been  gathered  for  assault  upon 
Moorish  castle,  citadel  of  Saracen,  or  pilgrim- 
age to  holy  shrines.  Every  man  was  a  cru- 
sader, yet  every  soldier  was  bent  upon  ac- 
quiring wealth  enough  to  enable  him  to 
retire  to  Spain  and  lead  a  life  of  luxury. 

The  trumpets  sounded,  their  blasts  echo- 
ing through  the  forests  of  pine  and  over  the 
broad  savannas  where  flocked  the  cranes  and 
curlews.  The  expedition  had  started,  that 
104 


IN   THE    FLORIDIAN    FORESTS 

much  -  vaunted  enterprise  upon  which  De 
Soto  had  lavished  all  his  wealth,  and  for  the 
return  of  which  his  good  wife  was  to  look 
long  years  in  vain.  It  began  with  a  mis- 
adventure, in  which  figured  conspicuously 
that  fantastic  rival  of  the  "Knight  of  La 
Mancha,"  Vasco  Porcallo  de  Figueroa. 

Word  came  to  De  Soto  that  the  cacique 
Ucita  was  concealed  in  a  swamp  not  far  dis- 
tant and  near  the  line  of  march.  Having 
used  all  his  endeavors  to  induce  him  to  come 
in,  the  governor  was  not  disposed  to  give  the 
chieftain  further  thought;  but  old  Porcallo 
insisted  that  he  should  be  captured  and  re- 
buked, if  not  punished,  for  his  lack  of  cour- 
tesy. He  insisted,  also,  that  he  was  the  man 
to  effect  that  capture,  and,  to  humor  him,  De 
Soto  placed  a  troop  of  horse  at  his  disposal. 

"Ah,  ha,  now  we  shall  see!"  shouted  the 
old  cavalier  as  he  rode  down  the  lines,  with 
the  troopers  clattering  at  his  heels.  "Do 
you  go  on,  senor  governor,  and  I  will  soon 
join  you  with  that  caitiff  savage  a  prisoner, 
or  his  head  on  a  pole." 

"Do  him  no  harm,  unless  strictly  in  de- 
fence," was  De  Soto's  answer.  "We  do  not 
wish  to  war  upon  the  natives,  especially  at 
the  beginning  of  our  march." 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

"I  know,"  rejoined  Porcallo,  and  he  was 
off  at  a  gallop,  his  horse  tearing  through  the 
forest  at  so  swift  a  pace  that  soon  the  ca- 
cique's stronghold  was  in  view.  It  was  a  vast 
and  dismal  swamp,  in  the  centre  of  which  was 
an  island  covered  with  "hammock"  growth, 
matted  together  with  vines.  An  Indian  mes- 
senger met  Porcallo,  warning  him  of  the  dif- 
ficulties and  dangers  in  the  way,  but  the  old 
knight  merely  scoffed. 

"Come  on,  my  merry  men!"  he  shouted  to 
his  escort.  "We  have  him  securely  trapped. 
It  is  only  to  go  in  and  fetch  him  out."  So 
saying,  he  put  spurs  to  his  horse — and  found 
himself  bogged  in  a  quagmire. 

He  fumed  and  swore,  he  called  on  all  the 
saints,  and  then  he  called  on  his  soldiers ;  but 
the  former  did  not  respond  and  the  latter 
could  not  reach  him.  The  weight  of  his 
heavy  armor  caused  his  struggling  beast  to 
sink  deeper  and  deeper  into  the  mire,  until 
he  was  actually  in  danger  of  suffocation.  At 
last,  by  a  mighty  effort,  he  extricated  him- 
self from  his  dangerous  position  and  reached 
firm  ground  once  more.  But  he  was  covered 
with  mud  from  head  to  foot.  His  shining 
armor  and  the  splendid  accoutrements  of  his 
steed  were  bespattered,  and  he  made  such  a 
106 


IN    THE    FLORIDIAN    FORESTS 

sorry  spectacle  that  the  soldiers  were  con- 
vulsed with  merriment.  Spanish  gravity  is 
a  thing  not  easily  upset,  but  in  this  instance 
the  soldiers  threw  all  restraint  to  the  winds 
and  gave  vent  to  derisive  shouts  and  laugh- 
ter. Their  taunts  were  more  than  the  vain 
Porcallo  could  endure,  and  the  instant  he 
rejoined  De  Soto  he  resigned  his  commission 
and  left  the  office  of  lieutenant-general  once 
more  vacant. 

Old  Porcallo  was  vain,  and  his  motive  in 
joining  the  expedition — which  was  said  to  be 
the  hope  of  getting  slaves  for  his  plantations — 
was  ignoble ;  but  he  was  generous  to  the  last. 
Before  embarking  for  Cuba  he  gave  away 
all  his  horses,  accoutrements,  and  munitions, 
and  bestowed  upon  the  army  his  vast  sup- 
ply of  provisions,  reserving  only  enough  to 
last  him  the  voyage.  Even  at  this  cost,  as 
the  sequel  will  show,  he  bought  his  freedom 
cheaply;  and  though  he  retired  because  of 
pique,  he  afterwards  had  great  reason  to  re- 
joice at  the  disaster  which,  for  a  time,  cov- 
ered him  with  shame  and  confusion. 

Beyond  the  province  of  Mocoso  lay  that  of 
Paracoxi,  who  was  a  wary  savage,  and  had 
learned  by  sad  experience  that  the  Span- 
iards could  not  be  trusted.  As  Narvaez  had 
107 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

passed  his  way — as  was  ascertained  by  find- 
ing the  remains  of  a  bridge  he  had  built — it 
is  probable  that  the  savage  had  suffered  se- 
verely, and  he  could  not  be  induced  to  emerge 
from  his  retreat,  which  was  in  the  midst  of 
a  vast  morass.  Indeed,  the  whole  country 
was  of  this  character,  apparently,  from  a 
point  three  leagues  beyond  Paracoxi's  de- 
serted village,  and  the  army  was  three  days 
in  traversing  a  swamp  which  lay  between 
it  and  the  firm  land  of  a  rolling  prairie. 
While  involved  in  the  darkness  of  this  dis- 
mal swamp,  lurking  Indians,  probably  some 
of  Paracoxi's  band,  annoyed  the  soldiers 
exceedingly  by  discharging  arrows  at  them 
from  their  hiding-places.  Some  were  killed, 
some  were  captured,  and  an  attempt  was 
made  to  use  the  prisoners  as  guides.  Finding, 
however,  that  they  were  prone  to  lead  them 
into  ambush,  the  Spaniards  let  loose  their 
dogs  upon  them,  who  killed  four,  by  tearing 
them  to  pieces. 

This  is  the  first  act  of  deliberate  cruelty 
which  we  can  fasten  upon  the  soldiers  of  De 
Soto  in  Florida;  but  this  mode  of  inflicting 
death  was  not  unusual  with  the  Spaniards, 
who  thereby  killed  their  prisoners  without 
waste  of  ammunition.  Alarmed  at  the  pen- 
108 


IN   THE    FLORIDIAN    FORESTS 

alty  which  his  companions  had  paid  for  their 
treachery,  another  Indian  offered  to  guide  the 
army  to  dry  land ;  but  before  it  was  reached 
a  stretch  of  water  was  entered  which  came  up 
to  the  saddles  of  the  cavalry  and  the  shoulders 
of  the  infantry.  It  was  a  league  in  breadth 
and,  in  the  centre,  too  deep  to  be  forded. 
Here  were  discovered  the  remains  of  the 
bridge  Narvaez  had  built  years  before.  Two 
trees  had  been  felled,  one  each  side  of  the 
stream,  and  the  intervening  space  filled  by 
logs  tied  together  and  floored  with  poles. 

This  rude  structure  reminded  De  Soto  of 
the  aerial  hammock  bridges,  made  of  vines, 
which  he  had  seen  and  often  crossed  in  Peru ; 
and,  to  encourage  his  men,  he  told  them  that 
the  difficulties  here  were  as  nothing  com- 
pared with  what  he  had  encountered  on  the 
march  to  Cuzco.  He  detailed  the  most  ex- 
pert swimmers,  with  hatchets,  to  repair  the 
bridge ;  but  while  they  were  at  work  they 
were  frequently  molested  by  Indians  in  ca- 
noes, and  two  of  them  severely  wounded. 

This  difficult  waterway  is  supposed  to  have 
been  near  the  headwaters  of  the  Hillsboro 
River  or  on  the  Ouithlacoochee.  Beyond 
it,  several  miles,  lay  a  beautiful  prairie,  cov- 
ered with  fields  of  maize ;  and  as  the  soldiers 
109 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

had  been  for  days  subsisting  upon  water- 
cresses,  they  greedily  ate  the  young  corn  in 
the  ear,  as  they  stripped  it  from  the  stalk. 
Difficult  and  dangerous  as  this  passage  of  the 
swamp  had  been,  De  Soto  was  obliged  to  send 
a  courier  back,  through  a  country  swarm- 
ing with  excited  savages,  to  summon  the 
remainder  of  the  army,  which  had  stayed 
behind  under  command  of  Lieutenant  Luis 
de  Moscoso.  Two  young  men,  Sylvestre  and 
Lopez,  were  selected  for  this  perilous  enter- 
prise, and  they  accomplished  it  only  by 
riding  night  and  day,  following  the  trail  by 
the  sagacity  of  their  horses,  who  picked  it 
up  like  dogs  on  the  scent.  During  three 
days  and  nights,  these  gallant  steeds  were 
hardly  unsaddled  and  rarely  unbridled,  their 
riders  sleeping  in  the  saddle  or  standing 
by  their  heads  as  they  snatched  a  bite  of 
grass.  At  the  perilous  ford  they  found  the 
Indians  waiting  for  them  in  canoes,  but  they 
dashed  through  the  water  at  speed,  amid 
such  a  shower  of  darts  and  arrows  that, 
looking  back,  they  saw  the  surface  covered, 
as  with  leaves  that  had  fallen  from  the  trees. 
Relays  of  Indians  pursued  them  to  the  very 
vicinity  of  Moscoso's  camp,  and,  hearing  their 
cries,  a  rescue  party  dashed  out,  led  by  Nuno 
no 


IN    THE    FLOR1D1AN    FORESTS 

de  Tobar,  on  a  dapple-gray  horse  that  be- 
came as  famous  as  his  rider. 

On  the  march  to  reinforce  De  Soto,  it 
seemed  to  the  soldiers  that  the  entire  coun- 
try had  roused  itself  to  repel  the  invaders, 
for  they  were  beset  by  Indians  on  every  side, 
by  night  and  by  day.  Still,  they  suffered 
very  little  from  the  missiles  of  the  savages, 
who  shouted  continually :  "  Keep  on,  robbers 
and  murderers!  In  Apalachee  you  will  get 
what  you  deserve !  No  quarter  will  be  given 
to  captives,  who  will  be  hung  on  the  highest 
trees  along  the  trail!" 

They  found  the  governor  encamped  in  a 
land  of  plenty,  but  at  odds  with  the  cacique, 
who,  when  invited  to  a  friendly  chat,  had 
sent  word :  "  I  am  a  king  in  my  own  land ;  but, 
what  is  your  employment?  Why  are  you 
here?  I  know,  for  others  of  your  accursed 
race  have  been  here.  It  is  to  wander  about 
like  vagabonds ;  to  rob  the  poor,  murder  the 
defenceless.  No,  with  such  as  you  I  want 
no  friendship.  War  only,  and  never-ending, 
shall  be  waged  against  the  invaders  of  our 
soil!" 


IX 

BATTLES  WITH  THE  INDIANS 


ALL  the  narratives  of  this  expedition  agree 
that  up  to  this  point  De  Soto  had  treat- 
ed the  Indians  with  great  consideration. 
Three  of  the  four  caciques  whose  territory 
he  had  passed  through  had  held  aloof  and 
refused  to  have  aught  to  do  with  him.  They 
had  refrained  from  attacking  the  Spaniards, 
probably,  on  account  of  their  weakness  ;  but 
the  fifth  cacique,  Acuera,  the  same  who  had 
sent  his  defiance  to  De  Soto,  enforced  his 
remarks  by  frequent  assaults  upon  the  in- 
vaders. His  warriors  lurked  in  ambuscade 
about  the  camps,  and  not  only  shot  all 
stragglers  with  their  arrows,  but  dragged 
away  and  beheaded  their  victims  before  they 
could  be  recovered  by  their  comrades. 

Their  vindictiveness  was  such  that  they 
even  dug  up  their  bodies,  marking  the  graves 
in  the  daytime  and  returning  to  perform 


BATTLES   WITH    THE    INDIANS 

their  ghoulish  work  at  night.  These  remains 
of  gallant  soldiers  were  then  cut  up  and 
hung  on  the  highest  trees,  while  their  heads 
were  borne  upon  poles,  as  gory  tokens  of 
their  triumph.  The  Spaniards  retaliated, 
of  course,  and  most  cruelly;  but,  with  their 
utmost  efforts,  they  did  not  succeed  in  killing 
more  than  fifty  Indians  of  Acuera's  band. 
They  scurried  through  his  province  with  such 
expedition  that  little  injury  was  done  to 
fields  of  growing  grain  or  to  villages ;  so  that 
Acuera  might  truly  boast  that  he  had  ac- 
complished something  by  his  aggressiveness. 
He  was  a  type  of  the  Indians  generally 
encountered  by  De  Soto  in  Florida,  which 
were  vastly  different  from  those  he  had 
assisted  in  harrying  in  Darien  and  Peru. 
Except  for  their  lower  grade  of  civilization, 
they  more  resembled  the  Aztecs  of  Mexico 
than  any  other  natives  the  Spaniards  had 
met  and  subjugated.  They  opposed  the  for- 
eigners from  the  first,  encountering  Ponce  de 
Leon  at  the  coast,  resisting  the  aggressions 
of  Panfilo  de  Narvaez,  and  have  left  be- 
hind them  a  prestige  fully  sustained  by  the 
fierce  Yemassees  and  Seminoles,  who,  three 
hundred  years  later,  fought  our  armies  in  the 
Everglades. 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

De  Soto's  scouts  had  brought  him  welcome 
information  respecting  the  adjoining  prov- 
ince of  Ocali :  that  it  was  filled  with  fields  of 
maize  and  dotted  with  prosperous  farm- 
steads, while  its  forests  were  abundantly 
supplied  with  game,  such  as  bear,  deer,  and 
wild  turkeys.  It  was  called  Ocali,  after  the 
principal  chief,  whose  town  contained  at 
least  six  hundred  dwellings.  When  De  Soto 
arrived,  however,  these  dwellings  were  all 
found  deserted,  for  the  people  had  seized 
their  portable  effects  and  fled  with  them  to 
the  forests.  But  there  was  much  that  they 
could  not  carry  away,  and  for  a  while  the 
Spaniards  revelled  in  an  abundance  of  green 
corn  fresh  from  the  stalk,  wild  fruits,  and 
cultivated  vegetables. 

Their  supplies  had  been  by  this  time  en- 
tirely exhausted,  excepting  those  they  had 
taken  along  "on  the  hoof" — the  three  hun- 
dred swine — which,  with  infinite  labor,  they 
had  saved  for  the  colony  that  the  governor 
still  hoped  to  found  in  the  wilderness.  The 
thoughts  of  the  soldiers  were  fixed  on  other 
things  than  colonizing,  it  is  true,  and  the 
more  they  saw  of  Florida  the  less  their  de- 
sire to  settle  there.  They  would  fain  have 
turned  about  and  made  the  best  of  their  way 
114 


BATTLES    WITH    THE    INDIANS 

out  of  this  dreadful  peninsula,  half  water  and 
half  sand ;  but  the  governor's  pride  forbade 
such  a  step.  Nothing  more  promising  had 
as  yet  been  found  than  Ocali,  which  in  itself 
was  but  a  miserable  village,  with  no  archi- 
tectural pretensions,  and  without  even  the 
glamour  of  gold  about  it. 

From  motives  of  policy,  De  So  to  endeav- 
ored to  establish  communication  with  the 
fugitive  chieftain,  Ocali,  but  was  unable  for 
a  long  time  to  draw  him  out  of  his  retreat  in 
the  depths  of  the  swamps.  At  last,  one  day, 
four  young  warriors  appeared.  They  were 
nearly  naked,  but  their  heads  were  adorned 
with  heron  plumes,  and  in  their  hands  the 
ever  -  present  bows  and  arrows.  Received 
by  the  governor  with  great  cordiality,  they 
sat  down  to  a  bountiful  collation,  of  which 
they  partook  with  avidity.  Suddenly,  with- 
out a  word  or  motion  of  warning,  all  four 
rose  to  their  feet  and  set  off  so  fleetly  that 
in  a  moment  they  were  nearly  out  of  sight. 

Taken  completely  by  surprise,  the  Span- 
iards would  undoubtedly  have  allowed  them 
to  escape ;  but  they  were  pursued  and  over- 
taken by  a  blood-hound,  which  pulled  them 
to  the  ground,  one  after  the  other,  and  then 
stood  over  them,  barking  furiously,  so  that 
"5 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

they  were  absolutely  terrified  into  submis- 
sion. After  having  been  secured  by  the 
Spaniards  and  taken  to  camp,  they  were 
questioned  as  to  their  mysterious  behavior, 
but  would  only  admit  that  they  had  acted 
without  any  other  intention  than  to  show 
their  agility  and  fleetness  of  foot.  They  had 
wonderingly  admired  the  costumes,  arms, 
armor,  and  horses  of  the  strangers,  and  in 
their  artless  simplicity  had  thought  to  ex- 
hibit some  accomplishment  of  their  own. 

The  blood-hound  that  had  effected  their 
capture  was  a  beast  of  uncommon  sagacity. 
Only  a  short  time  before  he  had  torn  to 
pieces  an  Indian  who  had  merely  struck  a 
Spaniard  with  his  bow.  Having  done  this, 
the  Indian  had  leaped  into  a  river,  on  the 
bank  of  which  he  stood,  followed  by  several 
companions.  The  hound  leaped  in  after 
them,  and,  passing  by  all  the  others,  seized 
the  culprit  by  the  shoulder  and  destroyed 
him  before  their  eyes. 

Not  long  after  the  episode  first  related,  as 
De  So  to  and  his  body-guard  were  walking 
along  the  bank  of  a  wide  river  near  the  camp, 
a  number  of  Indians  suddenly  appeared  on 
the  opposite  bank  and  discharged  a  flight 
of  arrows  into  their  midst.  It  chanced  that 
1x6 


BATTLES   WITH   THE    INDIANS 

the  blood-hound  spoken  of  was  a  short  dis- 
tance behind  the  company,  held  in  leash  by 
a  keeper,  with  whom  he  struggled  so  des- 
perately that  he  finally  broke  loose.  Plung- 
ing into  the  river,  the  ferocious  brute  sought 
to  swim  across  and  reach  the  Indians,  who 
greeted  his  approach  with  loud  yells  and  a 
volley  of  arrows.  So  many  of  these  missiles 
struck  him  in  the  head  and  shoulders  that 
he  looked,  it  is  said,  like  a  veritable  porcu- 
pine; but  he  valiantly  kept  on  until  the 
opposite  bank  was  reached,  when  he  fell 
dead  from  loss  of  blood.  The  savages  were 
overjoyed  at  the  destruction  of  this  most 
formidable  enemy,  and,  after  a  parting  vol- 
ley of  arrows  at  the  governor  and  his  party, 
dragged  its  carcass  away  as  a  trophy  of  their 
valor.  This  event  greatly  depressed  the 
army,  for  the  hound  was  considered  equal 
to  a  score  of  sentinels  for  night  duty,  being 
always  alert  when  savages  were  prowling 
about  the  camp,  and  able  to  discover  an 
Indian  by  his  sense  of  smell. 

The  cacique  Ocali  finally  emerged  from 
his  retreat  and  held  a  conference  with  the 
governor;  but  he  was  found  to  be  without 
any  influence  whatever,  so  was  allowed  to 
depart,  which  he  did  with  alacrity,  promis- 
9  117 


FERDINAND  DE  SOTO 

ing  to  return  and  assist  the  Spaniards  in 
building  a  bridge  across  the  river.  Needless 
to  say,  perhaps,  he  did  not  honor  them  with 
his  presence  thereafter,  and  the  bridge  was 
built  without  his  aid.  The  country  beyond 
was  open  pine-woods,  through  which  the 
army  passed  rapidly,  with  De  Soto,  as  usual, 
in  the  lead.  After  a  three-days'  march,  he 
took  with  him  two  hundred  horse  and  foot, 
and,  pushing  ahead  in  the  night,  at  daybreak 
entered  an  Indian  town  known  as  Ochile,  in 
the  province  of  Vitachuco,  which  was  under 
the  dominion  of  three  brothers. 

De  Soto  always  aimed  to  get  possession  of 
the  cacique,  or  chief,  of  whatever  tribe  he 
encountered,  to  hold  as  a  hostage  for  the 
good  behavior  of  his  people.  Fearing  that 
the  cacique  of  Ochile  might  take  alarm  and 
escape,  he  approached  the  village  by  stealth, 
and  at  dawn  clattered  into  it  with  clamor  of 
trumpet  and  drum,  so  alarming  the  natives 
that  they  poured  forth  from  their  huts  like 
bees  from  a  hive.  They  found  themselves 
prisoners,  being  surrounded  by  the  strange 
warriors,  who  had  descended  upon  them  as 
if  from  the  skies,  and  offered  no  resistance. 

The  house  of  the  cacique  was  the  largest 
of  any  mansion  yet  seen  in  Florida,  being 
118 


BATTLES   WITH   THE    INDIANS 

nearly  three  hundred  feet  in  length  by  more 
than  one  hundred  in  breadth,  though  con- 
structed of  logs  and  thatched  with  leaves 
and  grass.  Within  it  was  the  chief,  as  well 
as  his  principal  warriors,  who  at  first  offered 
resistance,  but  were  finally  prevailed  upon 
to  surrender  when  the  Spaniards  threatened 
to  set  fire  to  the  thatch.  Received  most 
graciously  by  De  Soto,  who  explained  the 
necessity,  which  he  deprecated,  for  retaining 
him  a  nominal  prisoner,  the  cacique  of  Ochile 
was  won  over  at  once.  He  seemed  disposed 
to  regard  his  captors  as  celestial  visitors,  and 
sent  for  a  younger  brother,  who,  like  himself, 
governed  a  portion  of  Vitachuco  province. 
Between  them  they  controlled  one-half  the 
province,  but  the  other  half  was  ruled  by  an 
elder  brother,  who  was  made  of  sterner  stuff 
than  they,  and  vastly  more  sagacious.  These 
two  kissed  the  governor's  hands,  and  their 
subjects  remained  passive,  while  De  Soto 
sent  back  couriers  with  orders  for  the  main 
army  to  come  up.  They  were  so  friendly 
that  the  Spaniards  greatly  rejoiced;  for 
hitherto,  says  the  Portuguese  chronicler, 
"  No  one  had  been  able  to  get  servants  who 
could  make  his  bread;  and  the  method 
being  to  beat  out  the  maize  in  log  mortars 
119 


FERDINAND   DE   SOTO 

with  a  one-handed  pestle  of  wood  (some  also 
sifting  the  flour  afterwards  through  their 
shirts  of  mail),  the  process  was  found  so 
laborious  that  many,  rather  than  crush  the 
grain,  chose  to  eat  it  parched  and  sodden." 

From  this  it  will  be  readily  understood 
that  the  Spaniards  gladly  accepted  the  ca- 
cique's offer  to  supply  them  with  cooks 
and  porters,  so  long  as  they  should  remain  in 
his  country.  He  became  alarmed,  however, 
when  they  settled  down  around  his  village 
and  in  his  fields,  like  a  host  of  devouring 
locusts,  and  one  day  he  broke  loose  from  his 
guard  in  an  attempt  to  escape.  Some  others 
were  with  him,  who  hastily  formed  a  sort  of 
body-guard,  and  all  together  started  for  the 
woods.  Then  "  the  governor  ordered  a  blood- 
hound, already  fleshed  upon  him,  to  be  let 
loose,  which,  passing  by  many,  seized  upon 
the  faithless  cacique,  and  held  him  until  the 
Christians  came  up." 

Convinced  that  resistance  was  useless  and 
that  the  Spaniards  were  invincible,  this 
cacique  of  Ochile  united  with  his  younger 
brother  in  a  petition  to  the  eldest  and  most 
powerful  of  the  three,  begging  him  not  to 
resist  the  advance  of  the  strangers  through 
his  territory,  but  to  submit  as  they  had  done. 


BATTLES   WITH    THE    INDIANS 

This  cacique  was  known  as  Vitachuco,  or 
Uitachuco,  his  name,  as  the  most  powerful 
lord,  being  also  that  of  the  province.  At 
first  he  treated  their  envoys  with  silent  con- 
tempt, but  finally,  goaded  to  wrath  by  their 
urgency,  he  retorted  (in  the  language  of 
Garcilaso  de  la  Vega) :  "  It  is  evident  that 
you  are  young,  and  have  neither  judgment 
nor  experience,  or  you  would  never  speak  as 
you  have  done  of  these  hated  white  men. 
The  chains  which  they  have  hung  upon  you, 
and  the  mean  and  dastardly  spirit  which  you 
have  acquired  during  the  short  period  you 
have  been  their  slaves,  have  caused  you  to 
speak  like  women.  Do  you  not  remember 
that  these  strangers  can  be  no  better  than 
those  who  formerly  committed  so  many 
cruelties  in  our  country?  Do  not  their 
manner  of  life  and  actions  prove  them  to  be 
children  of  the  Spirit  of  Evil,  and  not  of  the 
sun  and  the  moon,  our  gods  ? 

"Go  they  not  from  land  to  land,  plunder- 
ing and  destroying,  and,  like  the  vagabonds 
they  are,  maintaining  themselves  by  the 
sweat  and  blood  of  others?  Warn  them, 
then,  not  to  enter  my  dominions ;  for  I  vow 
that,  valiant  and  powerful  as  they  may  be, 
if  they  dare  do  so  they  shall  never  go  out 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

alive.  Yea,  the  whole  race  will  I  exter- 
minate!" 

This  vainglorious  message  was  accepted  by 
De  Soto  as  mere  bravado ;  but,  whether  the 
cacique  could  enforce  his  threats  or  not,  he 
surely  meant  them,  as  the  sequel  proved. 
He  pretended,  however,  to  be  won  over  by 
his  brothers,  who  in  person  went  to  him  and 
entreated  his  submission.  They  returned  in 
triumph,  assuring  the  governor  that  their 
brother  would  receive  him  as  a  distinguished 
guest,  provision  his  army,  and  entertain  them 
all  to  the  best  of  his  ability.  He  was  con- 
vinced, they  said,  that  he  had  misjudged 
their  character,  and  desired  to  make  amends. 
As  the  most  powerful  chieftain  south  of  the 
Apalachee  country,  he  felt  piqued  that  the 
Spaniards  should  not  have  perceived  his 
greatness,  and,  in  order  to  impress  them 
properly,  had  arranged  for  a  review  of  his 
army,  which  was  the  largest  and  best-ap- 
pointed in  the  peninsula. 

Setting  out  from  Ochile  in  the  morning, 
before  night  the  Spaniards  arrived  at  Vita- 
chuco's  town,  which  consisted  of  more  than 
two  hundred  houses,  some  of  them  fortified 
with  palisados.  The  settlement  was  seated 
in  the  centre  of  a  vast  and  fertile  prairie, 


BATTLES   WITH    THE    INDIANS 

supposed  to  be  that  which  is  now  known  as 
Wacahauta,  to  the  west  of  Micanopy,  locally 
famous  in  the  annals  of  Florida.  Five  hun- 
dred warriors  accompanied  Vitachuco  when 
he  went  out  to  meet  De  So  to,  and  the  latter 
could  not  but  remark  that  they  were  the  finest 
he  had  met,  being  tall  and  stalwart,  painted, 
plumed,  and  armed  in  a  superior  manner. 

A  week  of  feasting  and  rejoicing  followed, 
during  which  the  Spaniards  became  con- 
vinced of  the  cacique's  amicable  intentions, 
and  grew  careless.  This  refers  to  the  rank 
and  file;  for  their  commander  never  relaxed 
his  vigilance  when  in  an  enemy's  country, 
and  still  insisted  upon  patrols  and  sentinels, 
as  usual.  Neither  was  he  surprised  when, 
one  evening,  Juan  Ortiz  came  to  him  with 
information  of  a  plot  which  Vitachuco  had 
formed  to  bring  about  the  destruction  of  the 
army.  Ten  thousand  warriors  were  to  be 
assembled  on  the  plain,  weaponless  but  in 
battle  array,  in  order  that  the  Spaniards 
might  be  convinced  of  the  formidable  forces 
which  the  cacique  could  put  in  the  field  when 
occasion  demanded.  Their  weapons,  how- 
ever, were  to  be  concealed  in  the  grass  and 
thickets,  and  at  a  signal  they  were  to  close 
in  upon  the  strangers  and  commence  the 
123 


FERDINAND  DE   SOTO 

massacre.  Being  ten  to  one,  the  cacique 
reasoned,  they  could  easily  overpower  and 
destroy  the  Spaniards,  who  would  probably 
be  wandering  about  in  careless  security. 
De  Soto  was  to  be  taken  in  hand  by  the 
cacique  himself,  who,  with  twelve  of  his 
stoutest  warriors,  was  to  accompany  the 
leader  of  the  Spaniards  as  he  went  out  to 
view  the  spectacle.  When  the  signal  should 
be  given,  these  warriors  were  to  rush  upon 
and  overpower  the  governor,  and  the  ten 
thousand  were  to  grasp  their  arms  and  fall 
upon  the  army,  with  all  the  fury  of  savages 
inspired  by  confidence  in  their  numbers. 

"It  is  a  very  pretty  plot,"  declared  De 
Soto,  admiringly,  at  a  council  of  his  captains 
that  evening.  "And,  my  sons,  I  think  we 
cannot  do  better  than  adopt  the  enemy's 
tactics.  I  will  take  with  me  twelve  stout  sol- 
diers, to  offset  the  cacique's  dozen ;  and  as 
to  the  rest — why,  I  never  knew  my  men  to 
fail  me  yet." 

Nor  did  they  fail.  On  the  beautiful  morn 
of  the  morrow,  when  Cacique  Vitachuco 
came  to  inform  his  guest  that  the  entertain- 
ment was  ready  and  invite  him  to  view  it, 
he  was  much  surprised  and  taken  aback  to 
be  informed  that,  in  order  not  to  seem  remiss, 
124 


BATTLES    WITH    THE    INDIANS 

the  Spaniards  themselves  had  decided  to 
have  a  mock  battle,  for  the  diversion  of  their 
Indian  allies. 

Though  deeply  chagrined,  the  cacique 
dared  make  no  remonstrance,  and  was  com- 
pelled to  witness  the  marshalling  of  his  op- 
ponents in  full  force  and  in  battle  array  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  plain. 

Civilization  and  barbarism  were  fairly 
and  squarely  opposed.  The  latter  was  supe- 
rior in  point  of  numbers,  but  the  former  in 
discipline  and  armament.  Between  the  two 
bodies  of  soldiers  strode  the  chiefs,  accom- 
panied by  their  body-guards.  As  they  were 
about  to  ascend  the  knoll  from  which  the 
sham  contests  were  to  be  viewed,  a  war- 
whoop  and  a  bugle -blast  rang  out  at  the  same 
instant.  The  attendants  of  each  commander 
were  immediately  locked  in  a  death-struggle ; 
the  warriors  sprang  to  arms;  the  Spanish 
soldiers  came  thundering  down  the  plain, 
the  cavalry  in  advance,  and  shouting  the  old 
battle-cry,  "  Santiago !" 

De  Soto's  war-horse  was  led  up  to  him  by 
a  page,  and  mounting  it  he  placed  himself  at 
the  head  of  his  troops.  Four  Indian  arrows 
pierced  the  noble  beast,  and  he  fell  dead  in 
his  tracks.  Another  was  instantly  brought, 
I25 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

and,  in  the  saddle  again,  the  gallant  leader 
bore  down  upon  the  Indians  like  an  ava- 
lanche. Before  the  onset  of  those  three  hun- 
dred chargers  encased  in  armor  the  naked 
Indians  went  down  like  sheep  on  a  moun- 
tain-side before  a  loosened  bowlder.  They 
were  fierce  and  valorous;  but,  though  ten 
thousand  in  number,  they  could  not  with- 
stand the  cavalry  and  the  arquebuses. 

On  one  side  the  plain  was  a  large  lake,  on 
the  other  a  dense  forest,  where  the  Indians 
had  concealed  their  weapons.  Such  as  did 
not  reach  the  forest,  in  their  wild  struggle  to 
escape,  cast  themselves  into  the  lake,  to  the 
number  of  several  hundred.  They  swam  out 
into  deep  water,  and  in  groups  of  five  or  six, 
with  the  best  archer  mounted  on  the  backs 
of  his  companions,  kept  up  the  unequal 
struggle  all  day  long.  Their  arrows,  though 
sent  with  good  will,  were  impotent  against 
the  mailed  soldiers,  and  when  they  attempted 
to  regain  the  shore  the  cavalry  would  rush 
into  the  water  and  drive  them  back  again. 
Daylight  waned,  and  found  them  fighting 
yet,  but  by  midnight  some  came  in  and  sur- 
rendered, though  the  most  intrepid  remained 
till  next  day  at  dawn. 

"At  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,"  says  an 
126 


BATTLES  WITH  THE  INDIANS 

eye-witness  of  this  affair,  "they  had  all  sur- 
rendered, save  twelve  of  the  principal  men, 
who,  as  of  more  distinction  and  valiant  than 
the  rest,  preferred  to  die  rather  than  yield. 
Then  the  Indians  of  Paracoxi,  who  were 
going  about  unshackled,  went  in  after  them, 
swimming,  and  pulled  them  out  by  the  hair. 
They  were  all  put  in  chains,  and,  on  the  day 
following,  were  divided  among  the  Christians 
for  their  service." 

The  cacique  Vitachuco  was  caught  in  his 
own  trap.  At  the  beginning  of  the  battle  he 
had  been  overpowered  and  borne  off  to  the 
Spanish  camp,  where,  after  having  been  put 
in  chains,  he  was  allowed  unusual  liberties. 
He  was  given  a  seat  at  the  governor's  table, 
and,  except  for  his  chains,  was  treated  with 
the  deference  to  which  his  rank  entitled  him. 
But  he  was  implacable,  and,  though  De  Soto 
did  all  in  his  power  to  gain  the  friendship 
of  his  ferocious  captive,  he  was  bent  upon 
revenge.  He  concerted  another  conspiracy, 
and  one  day,  while  seated  at  dinner,  gave 
De  Soto  such  a  blow  in  the  face  that  sever- 
al teeth  were  broken  and  the  blood  gushed 
from  his  nose  and  mouth.  As  he  sank  to  the 
floor  insensible,  the  cacique  leaped  upon  and 
was  about  to  finish  him,  when  a  dozen 
127 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

swords  and  lances  were  thrust  through  his 
body,  and  he  fell  dead.  The  story  of  what 
followed,  after  the  signal  was  thus  given  for 
the  uprising,  seems  so  improbable  that  we 
prefer  the  old  chronicler  should  tell  it. 

"The  Indians  all  rose  together,"  he  says. 
"  He  who  could  only  catch  up  a  pestle  from 
a  mortar,  as  well  as  he  who  could  grasp  a 
weapon,  equally  exerted  himself  to  kill  his 
master  or  the  first  one  he  met ;  and  he  whose 
fortune  it  was  to  light  upon  a  lance  or  a 
sword,  handled  it  in  a  manner  as  though  he 
had  been  accustomed  to  use  it  all  his  days. 

"One  Indian,  in  the  public  yard  of  the 
town,  with  blade  in  hand,  fought  like  a  bull 
in  the  arena,  until  the  halberdiers  of  the 
governor,  arriving,  put  an  end  to  him.  An- 
other got  up,  with  a  lance,  into  a  maize-crib, 
made  of  cane  (called  by  Indians  barbacoa), 
and  defended  the  entrance  with  the  uproar  of 
ten  men,  until  he  was  stricken  down  with  a 
battle-axe.  They  who  were  subdued  may 
have  been  in  all  two  hundred  men.  Some  of 
the  youngest  the  governor  gave  to  those  who 
had  good  chains ;  all  the  rest  were  ordered  to 
execution,  and,  being  bound  to  a  post  in  the 
middle  of  the  town  yard,  they  were  shot  to 
death  with  arrows  by  the  people  of  Paracoxi." 
128 


THE    FIERCE   APALACHEES 
1539 

SUCH  a  terrible  blow  had  De  Soto  re- 
ceived that  he  lay  half  an  hour  un- 
conscious, while  the  conflict  raged  around 
him.  His  face  was  battered  in  as  though 
it  had  been  struck  by  a  sledge-hammer,  and, 
having  lost  several  teeth,  he  could  eat  no 
solid  food  for  many  a  day  thereafter.  Nearly 
a  week  passed  by  before  he  and  his  wounded 
comrades  were  well  enough  to  resume  their 
wanderings,  when  the  march  was  taken  up 
for  a  province  known  as  Osachile. 

The  Spaniards  left  behind  them  a  land 
of  desolation,  for,  besides  Vitachuco  and  his 
chieftains,  thirteen  hundred  warriors  had 
been  killed  in  the  battles  and  massacres. 
When  the  town  in  which  he  had  resided 
was  revisited,  some  time  after,  it  was  found 
abandoned,  without  an  inhabitant,  because 
of  an  Indian  superstition  that  it  was  ac- 
129 


FERDINAND   DE   SOTO 

cursed.  The  invaders  had  good  cause  to 
remember  it,  for  few  of  them  had  escaped 
scatheless  in  that  savage  uprising.  Several 
had  been  killed,  many  there  were  with  bro- 
ken arms,  scalded  skins,  and  bruised  bodies, 
so  that  they  went  limping  away,  with  many 
a  malediction  on  their  lips. 

Their  first  day's  march  brought  them  to  a 
rapid-flowing  river,  believed  to  have  been  the 
Suwanee,  across  which  they  attempted  to 
throw  a  bridge,  as  it  was  too  deep  to  ford. 
But  the  sudden  appearance  of  hostile  Ind- 
ians in  considerable  numbers  forced  them  to 
abandon  this  undertaking  and  hastily  con- 
struct several  rafts,  upon  which  the  soldiers 
crossed,  while  the  horses  were  driven  into 
the  river  and  compelled  to  swim.  The  in- 
trepid troopers  caught  their  steeds  as  they 
emerged  from  the  water  on  the  farther  bank, 
and,  quickly  slipping  on  saddles  and  bridles, 
charged  upon  the  savages,  who  were  put  to 
flight.  They  soon  returned,  however,  and 
greatly  annoyed  the  Spaniards  by  dis- 
charges of  arrows  from  the  corn  fields 
through  which  they  held  their  course.  Many 
were  wounded,  though  none  was  killed, 
and  such  of  the  Indians  as  were  taken 
prisoners  had  chains  placed  about  their 
130 


THE    FIERCE    APALACHEES 

necks  and  were  forced  to  serve  as  car- 
riers. 

Nearly  all  the  slaves  and  porters  had  been 
slain  in  the  massacre,  when  the  exasperated 
Spaniards  had  wreaked  their  vengeance  upon 
all  alike.  These  new  prisoners  were  as  in- 
tractable as  the  others,  and  though  they 
were  "  led  off  in  chains,  with  collars  about  the 
neck,"  they  sometimes  managed  to  escape. 
"Sometimes  it  happened,"  says  the  old 
chronicler,  "  that,  going  with  them  for  wood 
or  maize,  they  would  kill  the  Christian  and 
flee,  with  the  chain  on,  which  others  would 
file  at  night  with  a  splinter  of  stone  in  the 
place  of  iron ;  at  which  work,  when  they  were 
caught,  they  were  punished,  as  a  warning  to 
others.  The  women  and  youths,  when  re- 
moved a  hundred  leagues  from  their  country, 
no  longer  cared,  and  were  taken  along  loose, 
doing  the  work,  and  in  a  very  little  time 
learning  the  Spanish  language." 

The  town  of  Osachile,  which  was  less  than 
fifty  miles  from  the  last  they  had  left,  the 
Spaniards  found  to  consist  of  about  two  hun- 
dred houses,  and  to  occupy  the  centre  of  a 
fertile  prairie  covered  with  fields  of  maize  and 
pumpkins.  Most  authorities  agree  that  Osa- 
chile may  have  occupied  the  site  of  the  pres- 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

ent  Suwanee  Old  Town,  and  the  name  is 
perhaps  perpetuated  by  that  of  the  river 
Oscilla.  It  was  found  deserted,  all  the  in- 
habitants having  fled,  taking  with  them  their 
portable  possessions;  but  this  fact  did  not 
disturb  the  Spaniards,  who  thus  secured 
shelters  already  constructed  and  fields  well 
tilled,  which  they  could  avail  of  without  any 
fighting.  Here  in  Osachile,  as  at  Tampa, 
the  cacique's  house  was  set  upon  an  artificial 
mound,  the  summit  of  which  was  large  enough 
to  accommodate  a  group  of  twenty  wigwams, 
and  was  reached  by  an  inclined  roadway 
twenty  feet  in  width.  It  was  pyramidal  in 
shape,  and,  though  wholly  of  earth,  much 
resembled  the  stone  structures  of  Mexico, 
such  as  Papantla,  in  the  province  of  Vera 
Cruz. 

Though  the  governor  would  have  been  glad 
to  have  a  short  respite,  as  his  wounds  were 
healing  but  slowly,  he  did  not  tarry  long  at 
Osachile,  for  ahead  of  him  lay  the  wonder- 
ful country  of  Apalachee,  which  was  said  to 
abound  in  gold.  It  was  also  the  home  (ac- 
cording to  the  southern  Indians)  of  the 
fiercest  warriors  in  Florida,  who  had  never 
been  defeated  in  battle,  and  who  never  allow- 
ed their  land  to  be  invaded.  An  Apalachee 
132 


THE    FIERCE    APALACHEES 

scout  had  been  captured,  after  holding  at 
bay  a  score  of  soldiers  for  hours.  Severely 
wounded  as  he  was,  and  in  chains,  he  was 
brought  before  the  governor. 

"Whence  am  I?"  he  said,  proudly,  holding 
his  head  erect  and  looking  De  Soto  straight 
in  the  eye.  "  I  am  from  Apalachee.  What 
you  get  there,  you  will  see !  Our  warriors  will 
pin  ye  to  the  ground  with  their  lances ;  they 
will  hack  ye  in  pieces  with  their  swords,  and 
consume  ye  with  fire!  Wait  ye  and  see!" 

Far  from  being  deterred  by  these  men- 
aces, De  Soto  was  moved  to  try  conclu- 
sions with  the  savage  Apalachees.  He  had 
decided  to  establish  his  winter  quarters  in 
their  province,  come  what  might,  and  the 
order  was  given  to  march.  Three  days  of 
sweltering  toil  succeeded,  in  the  traversing 
of  an  arid  plain,  and  on  the  fourth  the 
Spaniards  entered  the  most  dismal  morass  of 
any  they  had  seen.  It  was  a  vast  swamp,  in 
the  midst  of  a  gloomy  forest,  through  the 
tangled  undergrowth  of  which  there  was  a 
single  narrow  trail,  only  wide  enough  for 
them  to  march  in  Indian  file.  In  the  centre 
of  this  forest  swamp  was  a  lake  of  unknown 
extent,  black  and  forbidding,  swarming  with 
snakes  and  alligators.  Beyond  the  lake  lay 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

the  land  of  promise,  Apalachee  (the  Indians 
told  De  Soto),  and  that  was  sufficient  for  him 
to  essay  its  passage. 

Making  camp  on  the  skirts  of  the  forest,  he 
detailed  a  hundred  cross-bow-men  and  hal- 
berdiers, together  with  twelve  men  who 
could  swim,  to  penetrate  the  swamp  and 
force  a  passage  through  the  lake.  They  were 
driven  back,  before  they  had  gone  a  hundred 
paces,  by  Indians  concealed  in  the  thickets, 
who  assailed  them  with  javelins,  arrows,  and 
lances,  and  compelled  them  to  retreat.  Re- 
ceiving heavy  reinforcements  from  the  main 
army,  they  returned  to  the  attack,  but  suc- 
ceeded only  in  ascertaining  that  the  water  of 
the  lake  was  too  deep  to  be  forded,  and  that 
beyond  it  extended  the  same  black  forest, 
through  which  the  narrow  trail  wound  like  a 
snake  for  several  miles. 

No  obstacle  was  ever  encountered  by  De 
Soto  which  he  deemed  insurmountable.  He 
was  never  daunted  by  circumstances  the 
most  adverse,  nor  discouraged  by  ill-fortune. 
He  resolved  to  make  a  night  march  through 
the  swamp  of  the  dismal  lake,  and,  sending 
on  ahead  two  hundred  chosen  soldiers,  who 
were  encased  in  armor  from  head  to  foot,  he 
fell  in  behind  with  the  bulk  of  the  army. 


THE    FIERCE    APALACHEES 

He  formed  a  living  wedge,  as  it  were,  faced 
with  steel,  and  drove  it  home  by  ponderous 
blows.  Entering  the  forest  defile  between 
midnight  and  dawn,  the  advance-guard  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  and  crossing  the  lake  be- 
fore the  Indians  were  aroused.  They  had 
not  expected  a  night  attack,  and  had  left 
the  lake  unwatched.  Darkness  enshrouded 
these  brave  cavaliers  as  they  passed,  in  single 
file,  between  the  trunks  of  ghostly  cypress- 
trees,  hung  with  funereal  banners  of  moss  and 
draped  in  vines  that  depended  from  their 
limbs  like  writhing  serpents.  Cautiously 
they  felt  their  way,  parting  the  vines  with 
their  swords  and  prodding  tihe  leaves  with 
their  lances.  In  the  centre  of  the  black  lake 
water  was  a  primitive  bridge,  formed  of 
fallen  trees  and  logs.  They  crawled  across 
it  like  panthers,  their  stout  hearts  beating 
wildly,  for  here  they  had  fully  expected  re- 
sistance. But  they  had  safely  passed  the 
waterway,  and  were  already  assembling  on 
the  farther  side  of  the  lake,  when  the  savages 
discovered  them. 

Daylight  revealed  them  to  the  astonished 
Indians,  who  greeted  the  sight  with  yells  and 
wolf-like  howls.  Like  wolves,  too,  they  fell 
upon  these  mailed  monsters  who  had  in- 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

vaded  their  land,  and  dashed  themselves  to 
pieces  against  their  armor-clad  bodies.  As 
well  might  the  waves  of  ocean  dash  against 
a  rock,  for  the  Spaniards  were  unyielding. 
Some  of  them  went  down,  for  they  were 
fighting  waist-deep  in  the  water,  and  never 
rose  again ;  but  their  foes  went  with  them. 

They  could  not  retreat,  because  of  the 
pressure  from  behind.  Arrows  glanced  from 
their  armor,  lances  from  their  helmets,  but 
now  and  again  a  ponderous  battle-axe  de- 
scended and  crushed  out  all  life  within.  Still, 
inch  by  inch  and  foot  by  foot  the  valorous 
Spaniards  advanced,  meeting  lances  with 
sword-thrusts,  arrows  with  cross-bows  and 
arquebuses;  and  thus  the  living  wedge  was 
driven  home.  Naked  bodies  were  not  proof 
against  keen  Toledo  blades — they  could  not 
resist  the  impact  of  men  in  armor;  and 
when,  finally,  the  cavalry  came  into  action, 
the  savages  went  down  like  fields  of  grain 
before  the  hurricane.  But  Apalachee  nat- 
ure could  not  understand  defeat,  would  not 
think  of  surrender,  and  the  savage  warriors 
continued  to  contest  the  pass  two  days  and 
a  night,  until  their  foes  were  weary  with 
fighting  and  almost  dead  from  loss  of  sleep. 

These  Indians  had  fought  the  army  of 
136 


THE    FIERCE    APALACHEES 

Narvaez,  and  had  defeated  him,  so  they  had 
a  contempt  for  cross-bows  and  arquebuses. 
As  for  the  horses — they  impeded  their  ad- 
vance by  fallen  trees,  bound  together  with 
vines,  and,  when  the  horsemen  were  en- 
tangled, would  creep  up  and  slash  at  them 
from  beneath,  bringing  steed  and  rider  to 
the  ground,  where  they  were  slaughtered. 
But  the  cavalry  had  their  revenge  when  the 
open  plains  were  reached.  Then  the  horses 
themselves  seemed  to  share  their  riders'  rage 
and  fury,  and  the  Indians  were  cut  down 
without  mercy.  No  quarter  was  given  nor 
asked,  for  the  Spaniards  had  taken  their 
lives  in  their  hands,  and  the  Apalachees  gave 
theirs  gladly  in  defence  of  their  country. 

After  marching  and  fighting  during  several 
days,  all  the  time  in  the  midst  of  seemingly 
interminable  fields  of  maize,  where,  beneath 
the  rustling  pennons,  gleamed  golden  pump- 
kins innumerable,  the  weary  Spaniards  ar- 
rived at  a  dark  and  rapid  stream  coursing 
through  a  forest.  Though  it  might  have 
been  easily  forded  had  they  been  unopposed, 
they  found  their  passage  obstructed  by  a 
barrier  of  palisados,  behind  which  the  Ind- 
ians had  gathered  in  great  force.  Night  was 
coming,  and  there  was  no  time  to  parley, 
i37 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

even  if  the  governor  had  been  in  the  mood, 
so  he  ordered  a  troop  of  dismounted  horse- 
men, who  were  the  best  protected  by  their 
armor,  to  storm  the  barricade.  With  shields 
in  front  and  swords  and  hatchets  in  hand, 
they  dashed  into  the  river,  amid  a  storm  of 
javelins  and  arrows.  The  Indians  met  them 
unflinchingly  and  killed  several  of  their  num- 
ber, wounding  many  others;  but  the  bar- 
rier was  carried,  and  the  troops  poured  tu- 
multuously  across  the  stream,  putting  to 
the  sword  such  laggards  in  flight  as  they 
could  overtake.  A  camp  was  established 
two  leagues  beyond  the  forest,  in  a  fertile 
country  similar  to  that  which  they  had 
recently  passed  through,  and  here  De  Soto 
hoped  to  rest  awhile  and  recuperate. 

But,  though  the  level  fields  presented  a 
clear  course  for  the  cavalry,  with  no  hiding- 
places  save  the  stacks  of  maize,  the  wary  and 
ferocious  savages  kept  the  camp  in  a  constant 
state  of  alarm.  The  sentinels  were  shot 
down  at  their  posts,  patrols  were  attacked 
while  going  their  rounds,  and  soldiers  off 
duty  were  unable  to  sleep  on  account  of  the 
yells  and  howls  that  went  up  on  every  side. 
Flights  of  arrows,  too,  fell  in  the  very  centre 
of  the  camp  and  wounded  several  Spaniards 
138 


THE    FIERCE    APALACHEES 

while  they  were  endeavoring  to  prevent  a 
stampede  of  their  horses. 

In  distress  and  gloom,  exposed  to  inces- 
sant assaults  by  the  restless  and  determined 
enemy,  the  soldiers  passed  the  fourth  night 
since  they  had  emerged  from  the  swamp, 
after  patiently  enduring  and  sturdily  resist- 
ing for  nearly  one  hundred  hours,  all  the 
time  with  weapons  in  their  hands.  Such 
captives  as  they  had  taken  boasted  loudly 
of  their  cacique's  prowess,  and  assured  the 
Spaniards  that  the  reception  they  had  given 
them  was  nothing  to  what  they  would  get 
should  they  approach  his  capital. 

Apalachee  had  been  vaunted  by  the 
Indians  all  the  way  from  Ocali;  yet  when 
entered  it  was  found  to  contain  no  monu- 
ment to  human  greatness,  past  or  present. 
It  consisted  of  about  two  hundred  straw 
huts,  without  doors  or  windows,  and  with 
wattled  walls  plastered  over  with  mud.  Had 
De  Soto  been  an  ordinary  man,  his  spirits 
would  have  sunk  within  him;  but,  as  has 
been  said  before,  he  was  not  an  ordinary 
man.  He  was  heroic  in  his  sublime  faith, 
but  grotesquely  so  in  his  blind  persistence 
in  following  a  path  which  led  him  nowhere 
and  pursuing  a  course  which  became  the 


FERDINAND   DE    SOTO 

more  involved  in  difficulties  the  farther  he 
went. 

Following  his  usual  practice,  he  endeav- 
ored to  get  the  cacique,  Capafi,  in  his  power, 
at  first  by  sending  him  valuable  presents  ac- 
companied by  proffers  of  his  friendship,  then 
by  despatching  scouting  -  parties  to  capture 
him  in  his  stronghold.  This  retreat  was  es- 
tablished in  the  centre  of  a  dense  forest, 
swamp  -  surrounded  and  fortified  at  every 
point  of  approach.  It  was  hunted  out  and 
assaulted  by  De  Soto  himself,  at  the  head  of 
a  band  of  horsemen  chosen  for  their  courage 
and  endurance.  At  the  end  of  a  long,  nar- 
row, and  winding  trail,  the  governor  found 
himself  confronted  with  a  barricade  made  of 
palisados  bound  together  with  osiers.  This 
was  stormed  and  carried ;  but  within  it  was 
another,  still  stronger,  and  defended  by  sav- 
ages fighting  with  the  desperation  of  despair. 
A  hand-to-hand  conflict  ensued,  which  end- 
ed only  with  the  death  of  nearly  all  the 
defenders. 

When,  at  last,  the  cacique  was  discovered, 
squat  like  a  toad  in  the  farthest  corner  of  the 
inmost  hut,  it  was  seen  that  he  was  too  fat 
to  walk.  He  could  only  crawl  on  his  hands 
and  knees;  but  he  was  evidently  greatly 
140 


THE    FIERCE    APALACHEES 

beloved  by  his  surviving  subjects,  who  bore 
him  in  their  arms  to  De  Soto,  by  whom  he 
was  kindly  received  and  promised  good  treat- 
ment so  long  as  he  should  keep  the  peace. 


XI 

THE    FIRST    WINTER   IN    FLORIDA 
1539-1540 

RETURNING  with  his  captive  to  An- 
hayca,  the  Apalachee  capital,  the  gov- 
ernor made  preparations,  the  last  week  in 
October,  1539,  for  settling  down  there  for 
the  winter;  but  not  to  a  life  of  inaction. 
While  he  had  been  in  pursuit  of  Capafi,  two 
of  his  captains,  Tinoco  and  Vasconceles, 
were  scouring  the  country  for  gold  and  sup- 
plies, and  shortly  after  his  return  another, 
Juan  de  Afiasco,  was  sent  southward  on  a 
most  important  mission.  This  was  to  dis- 
cover, if  possible,  a  route  to  the  sea,  which, 
the  Indians  told  De  Soto,  was  not  many 
leagues  away. 

Taking  with  him  ninety  horse  and  foot, 
Anasco,  who  was  the  contador,  or  auditor,  of 
the  expedition,  and  a  man  who  could  be 
trusted  implicitly,  started  on  his  perilous 
trip  to  the  sea -coast.  It  must  be  remem- 
142 


THE    FIRST   WINTER    IN    FLORIDA 

bered  that  De  Soto  had  no  maps  or  charts 
upon  which  he  could  rely  for  guidance,  and 
depended  entirely  upon  information  given 
him  by  the  Indians,  who  were  not  always 
understood  by  the  interpreter.  On  this  oc- 
casion it  happened  that  the  governor  had 
been  correctly  informed,  and  Afiasco  found 
the  object  of  his  search,  though  only  after 
enduring  great  privations. 

He  took  along  as  guide  an  Apalachee 
prisoner,  who  was  soon  accused  of  treachery, 
because  he  attempted  (the  soldiers  said)  to 
lose  them  in  a  vast  morass.  Several  times 
he  brought  them  within  sound  of  the  sea 
waves  on  a  distant  shore,  and  then  started  in 
a  different  direction,  which  invariably  led 
into  the  wilderness.  At  last  their  suspicions 
became  so  strong  that  an  iron  collar  was  put 
on  his  neck,  to  which  was  attached  a  chain, 
held  by  a  soldier,  who  was  charged  to  keep 
strict  watch,  lest  he  should  escape. 

One  night,  as  his  enemies  were  asleep,  he 
snatched  a  glowing  brand  from  the  camp- 
fire  and  beat  the  soldier  with  it  over  the 
head,  at  the  same  time  trampling  upon  him 
as  he  lay  helpless  on  the  ground.  This  so 
exasperated  Captain  Anasco,  who  was  al- 
ready greatly  incensed,  that  he  thrust  the 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

recreant  guide  through  with  a  lance,  then 
loosed  his  hound,  who  quickly  tore  him  to 
pieces.  The  Spaniards  thus  gratified  their 
desire  for  revenge;  but  they  had  deprived 
themselves  of  the  only  man  who  knew  the 
way  out  of  the  wilderness,  and  for  fifteen 
days  they  wandered  aimlessly  about,  finally 
reaching  the  coast  nearly  exhausted  and  on 
the  verge  of  starvation. 

Here  they  found,  not  only  abundant  sup- 
plies of  fish,  but  a  large  and  excellent  bay, 
and  came  upon  gruesome  relics  of  the  ill- 
starred  expedition  of  Narvaez.  That  this 
bay  was  the  one  from  which  the  remnants  of 
his  command  had  set  sail  was  shown  by  the 
stumps  of  trees  which  had  been  felled  for  the 
construction  of  the  brigantines,  a  forge  for 
the  making  of  bolts  and  nails,  and  finally 
by  the  skulls  of  horses  which  had  been 
killed. 

This  bay  was  undoubtedly  that  of  the 
present  St.  Marks,  and  is  distant  but  a  few 
leagues,  in  a  direct  line  southward,  from 
Anhayca,  which  was  probably  on  or  near  the 
site  of  Tallahassee.  It  was  called  Aute"  by 
the  natives,  who  had  picked  up  a  few  Spanish 
words  from  the  former  visitors,  and  who  con- 
ducted Anasco  and  his  men  to  scenes  identi- 
144 


THE    FIRST   WINTER    IN    FLORIDA 

fied  with  its  discovery.  With  this  valuable 
information,  after  going  out  in  a  canoe  and 
sounding  the  harbor,  Ariasco  returned  to 
Anhayca,  whence  he  was  soon  despatched  by 
De  Soto  to  Tampa,  with  orders  for  Captain 
Calderon  to  abandon  his  encampment  there 
and  join  him  in  Apalachee. 

The  intrepid  Anasco,  in  command  of 
thirty  lancers,  like  himself  men  of  valor  and 
endurance,  set  out  on  November  2oth  for 
Tampa,  or  Espiritu  Santo,  which  he  reached 
at  the  end  of  ten  days.  As  De  Soto  did  not 
take  part  in  this  desperate  dash  through 
a  country  swarming  with  Indians  already 
roused  to  fury  by  the  outrages  committed 
upon  them  by  the  Spaniards,  we  feel  con- 
strained to  omit  it  from  our  narrative.  But 
it  was  one  of  the  most  venturesome  episodes 
of  the  expedition,  and  replete  with  exciting 
incident.  Anasco  took  Calderon  orders  to 
proceed  northward  by  land,  while  he  himself 
was  to  sail  along  the  coast  to  the  harbor  of 
Aute",  and  march  thence  to  Apalachee.  To 
a  worthy  companion  of  his,  Gomez  Arias,  was 
given  the  enviable  commission  of  bearing  to 
Dona  Isabel  tidings  from  her  liege  lord  in 
Apalachee,  and  he  soon  set  sail  with  two 
caravels  for  Havana,  carrying  with  him 
MS 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

twenty  Indian  women  and  some  pearls  of 
the  country  as  presents. 

The  garrison  at  Tampa  had  planted  gar- 
dens, which  were  fruitful  and  flourishing  at 
the  time  Afiasco  returned,  and  they  were 
loath  to  leave  them,  especially  when  they 
learned  that  no  gold  had  been  discovered. 
This  was  their  first  demand:  "Have  you 
found  any  gold  ?"  The  welfare  of  their  com- 
mander and  comrades  seemed  to  concern 
them  no  whit;  but  in  refreshing  contrast  to 
their  indifference  was  the  lively  interest  of  the 
good  cacique,  Mocoso,  who  inquired  earnest- 
ly after  his  friends  in  distant  Apalachee. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  record  that  he  was 
richly  rewarded  for  his  loyalty  to  the  Span- 
iards, for  to  him  and  his  people  they  gave 
all  their  surplus  stores,  helmets,  armor, 
lances,  pikes,  etc.,  of  which  a  mountain-heap 
remained  after  the  retiring  soldiers  had 
taken  all  they  could  carry.  It  took  Mo- 
coso's  people  nearly  a  week  to  remove  these 
articles  to  their  town,  though  every  man, 
woman,  and  child  was  impressed  into  service ; 
and  thereafter  they  were  living  examples  of 
Spanish  beneficiaries. 

What  became  of  all  these  things,  especially 
of  such  as  were  in  their  nature  imperishable, 
146 


THE    FIRST   WINTER    IN    FLORIDA 

like  the  helmets  and  the  armor,  no  one  in 
recent  times  has  been  able  to  discover.  It 
would  seem  likely  that  some  relics  of  this 
expedition,  which  wound  its  way  through 
the  forests  and  over  the  prairies  for  years, 
scattering  hundreds  of  objects  in  iron  and 
steel  along  its  route,  might  be  found;  but 
few,  if  any,  have  been  recovered.  Mocoso 
and  his  subjects  have  disappeared,  along 
with  the  objects  with  which  the  Spaniards 
enriched  them,  and  so,  also,  have  all  the 
tribes  encountered,  except  a  few  in  the 
northern  region  traversed  by  De  Soto. 

Gomez  Arias  sailed  southward  with  two 
caravels,  and  safely  reached  Havana,  with 
news  which  cheered  the  heart  of  Dona 
Isabel  and  at  the  same  time  saddened  it. 
While  the  message  from  De  Soto  was  affec- 
tionate, nevertheless  it  conveyed  to  her  his 
stern  resolve  never  to  return  without  ac- 
complishing the  objects  sought.  Thus  far 
there  had  been  no  indications  either  of  a 
golden  region  or  an  extensive  empire  (as  he 
frankly  stated),  but  he  should  still  persist 
in  his  search  for  both.  His  sorrowing  con- 
sort knew  him  well  enough  to  be  convinced 
that,  if  neither  existed,  she  might  never 
see  him  again,  for  his  proud  nature  would 
J47 


FERDINAND   DE    SOTO 

not  permit  him  to  return  to  Cuba  impov- 
erished. 

She  had  already  divined  the  situation,  it 
is  said,  and  had  sent  a  letter  to  Tampa, 
which  Captain  Calderon  bore  to  his  com- 
mander, begging  him  to  abandon  the  enter- 
prise and  resume  his  captain  -  generalcy  in 
Cuba,  which  was  an  island  already  ripe  for 
development.  After  entering  a  plea  for  the 
Indians  of  Florida,  she  continues:  "I  hope, 
my  dearest  husband,  that  no  considerations 
of  worldly  advantage  will  make  you  neglect- 
ful of  the  precepts  of  humanity  and  of  the 
duties  of  religion.  Be  persuaded  to  return 
to  me  at  once,  for  you  can  gain  nothing  in 
Florida  which  can  compensate  me  for  the 
sorrow  and  anxiety  I  feel  in  your  absence. 
...  If  you  have  gained  nothing,  I  shall  be 
better  satisfied,  because  there  may  be  the 
less  cause  for  repentance.  Whatever  may 
have  been  your  want  of  success  or  your 
losses,  I  implore  you  to  come  to  me  without 
delay ;  for  any  reverse  of  fortune  is  far  better 
than  the  suspense  and  misery  I  now  endure." 

It  would  seem  that  the  daughter  of  Pedra- 

rias  was  paying  the  penalty  of  her  father's 

sins,   for   surely  few  women    have  had  to 

suffer   more  mental   anguish  than  she   en- 

148 


THE    FIRST   WINTER    IN    FLORIDA 

dured  during  those  long  months  of  waiting, 
which  stretched  into  still  longer  years  that 
finally  ebbed  away  into  eternity.  She  was 
never  to  see  her  lover  and  husband  again, 
yet  she  remained  hopeful  and  faithful,  send- 
ing several  missions  in  search  of  him,  all  of 
which  were  fruitless  in  their  quest. 

While  Juan  de  Ariasco  sailed  northward, 
taking  with  him  in  the  brigantines  his  thirty 
lancers,  sturdy  Pedro  Calderon,  with  one 
hundred  and  twenty  horse  and  foot,  made 
his  way  to  Apalachee  by  land.  He  had 
literally  to  carve  a  path  anew  through  the 
forests  and  swamps,  for,  though  thrice  open- 
ed, it  had  closed  behind  the  previous  cava- 
liers, like  the  waves  parted  by  a  vessel's  keel. 
Almost  every  mile  of  his  route  was  contested 
by  the  enemy,  and  he  arrived  at  Apalachee, 
the  last  of  December,  with  his  little  force 
reduced  by  many  killed  and  wounded. 

Anasco  arrived  shortly  before  Captain 
Calderon,  and  De  Soto  received  them  both 
with  rejoicings.  The  original  band  of  ad- 
venturers was  now  reunited,  and,  as  the 
soldiers  looked  upon  their  governor  with 
feelings  akin  to  reverence,  there  was  no  dis- 
sension in  camp,  but  all  dwelled  together  as 
brothers.  The  interior  of  Florida  had  been 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

opened  up  by  the  various  marches  through 
it,  and  the  west  coast  had  been  explored  as 
far  north  as  St.  Marks.  Westward  from 
this  bay  both  the  coast  and  interior  country 
were  still  unknown,  and  De  Soto  sent  Diego 
Maldonado,  in  the  brigantines  Anasco  had 
brought,  with  a  company  of  soldiers  and 
sailors,  to  investigate.  He  sailed  away  west- 
ward, and  about  seventy  leagues  from  Aut6 
found  what  his  commander  wanted — a  mag- 
nificent harbor  large  enough  for  world-com- 
merce and  advantageously  situated,  with 
its  splendid  country  adjacent,  for  a  colony. 
The  fleets  of  all  Europe  might  safely  ride 
at  anchor  there,  Maldonado  reported  to  De 
Soto,  and,  moreover,  it  was  land-locked,  with 
shores  so  "steep-to"  that  vessels  might  sail 
right  up  to  the  bluffs. 

This  information  rejoiced  the  governor 
exceedingly,  and  he  took  energetic  measures, 
by  despatching  Maldonado  to  Havana  for  a 
fleet  well  freighted  with  supplies,  towards 
making  this  bay  of  Ochuse,  as  the  natives 
called  it,  a  nucleus  for  the  great  empire 
which  he  hoped  to  create  in  Florida.  This 
fine  harbor  is  known  to-day  as  Pensacola, 
and  is  worthy  of  all  the  encomiums  that  the 
early  navigators  lavished  upon  it.  Instruct- 
150 


THE    FIRST   WINTER    IN    FLORIDA 

ing  Maldonado  to  sail  for  Havana  with  all 
speed  and  rendezvous  at  Ochuse  the  follow- 
ing October,  De  Soto,  with  tireless  energy, 
made  preparations  for  an  extended  explora- 
tion of  the  interior  country,  intending  to 
meet  his  lieutenant  at  the  time  appointed. 
He  had  kept  the  road  to  Aute  open  by 
marching  and  countermarching  over  it  sev- 
eral companies  of  horsemen,  so  the  various 
operations  were  conducted  and  communica- 
tion was  maintained  between  the  port  and 
Apalachee  without  any  considerable  losses 
by  the  Spaniards.  Yet  they  were  continual- 
ly in  warfare  with  the  savages,  who  assailed 
them  by  night  and  by  day,  attacking  not 
only  their  outposts,  but  the  headquarters  as 
well,  with  all  the  fury  of  their  first  assaults. 

These  Apalachees,  in  fact,  were  uncon- 
querable, and,  even  though  their  capital 
was  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  they  never 
ceased  their  efforts  until  the  Spaniards  had 
departed  from  their  province.  De  Soto  had 
thought  to  restrain  them  somewhat  by  keep- 
ing their  chief,  the  fat  cacique,  in  custody; 
but  this  individual  was  as  crafty  as  he  was 
skilled  in  warfare,  and  one  day  he  effected 
his  escape  by  playing  upon  the  credulity 
of  his  captors.  His  warriors  continued  to 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

molest  the  Spaniards  at  every  opportunity; 
and  when  the  governor  remonstrated,  telling 
him  that  he  thought  it  very  ungrateful  in  his 
subjects  to  do  so,  when  their  chief  was  receiv- 
ing from  him  every  kindness  and  attention, 
he  agreed  and  expressed  great  grief  at  their 
conduct. 

"  But,"  he  said,  "they  do  not  know  that  I 
am  well  treated.  They  think  of  me  as  im- 
prisoned in  a  dungeon  and  with  fetters  on 
my  limbs.  Let  me  but  show  myself  to  them 
unfettered,  and  doubtless  they  will  cease 
their  ravages  at  once." 

De  Soto  agreed  that  this  seemed  rea- 
sonable, and  asked  him  how  he  should 
proceed. 

"  My  chief  men  are  encamped  in  a  forest, 
five  or  six  leagues  from  here,"  answered  the 
cacique.  "  Send  me  to  them,  guarded  by  a 
small  company  of  soldiers,  and  I  will  soon 
bring  them  to  terms.  But  do  not  put  irons 
upon  me,  for  that  would  enrage  them." 

As  the  obese  cacique  could  not  walk  with- 
out assistance,  much  less  run  away,  the 
governor  assented  to  this  proposition,  and, 
closely  guarded  by  a  company  of  picked  sol- 
diers, he  was  sent  to  interview  his  warriors. 
Setting  out  at  daylight  one  morning,  they 
152 


THE    FIRST   WINTER    IN    FLORIDA 

marched  till  near  sunset,  when  the  forest  was 
reached  in  which  the  warriors  were  said  to 
be  concealed.  The  soldiers  were  weary  from 
their  march,  and,  though  they  took  every 
precaution,  by  posting  sentinels  and  sur- 
rounding the  cacique  with  a  very  strong 
guard,  they  all  fell  asleep  in  the  night. 

Their  prisoner  was  not  weary,  as  he  had 
been  carried  all  the  way,  and  he  was  very 
wide-awake,  for,  watching  his  opportunity, 
about  midnight  he  crawled  off  into  the 
thickets  on  his  hands  and  knees;  and  that 
was  the  last  the  Spaniards  ever  saw  of  the 
fat  cacique. 

When  his  absence  became  known,  next 
morning,  the  sentinels  swore,  by  all  the  saints 
they  could  remember  and  name,  that  they 
had  not  slept  a  wink,  so  it  was  agreed  among 
the  company  that  the  fat  cacique  must  have 
been  a  necromancer,  and,  by  conjuring  a 
demon  to  his  aid,  had  got  himself  spirited 
away.  At  least,  this  was  the  story  they  told 
the  governor  on  their  return,  and  he,  wise 
and  forbearing  man  that  he  was,  said  in 
reply  (though  with  something  approaching  a 
twinkle  in  his  eyes) :  "  It  is  very  possible,  my 
sons,  for  I  really  believe  these  Indians  are 
capable  of  more  wonderful  feats  than  merely 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

conjuring  off  a  fat  cacique.  Still,  would  I 
had  been  there  to  behold  the  feat!" 

Relieved  of  anxiety  respecting  their  chief, 
the  Apalachee  warriors  redoubled  their  ef- 
forts to  drive  the  invaders  away.  When- 
ever the  Spaniards  went  to  the  forest  for 
wood  or  to  the  streams  for  water,  they  were 
quickly  surrounded  by  hosts  of  savages,  who 
massacred  and  scalped  the  white  men  and 
broke  the  chains  of  their  slaves,  whom  they 
took  with  them  to  their  haunts.  Though 
some  few  were  captured,  most  of  the  Apala- 
chees  encountered  fought  to  the  death,  and 
they  were  so  regardless  of  pain  that,  says  the 
Portuguese  chronicler,  "if  their  hands  and 
noses  were  cut  off,  they  made  no  more  ac- 
count of  it  than  if  each  of  them  had  been  a 
Mucius  Scaevola  of  Rome.  Not  one  of  them, 
for  fear  of  death,  would  deny  that  he  be- 
longed to  Apalachee." 

Two  young  cavaliers,  Diego  de  So  to,  a 
nephew  of  the  governor,  and  Diego  Velas- 
quez, were  making  their  rounds  one  day, 
when  they  espied  an  Indian  stealing  across 
a  field  surrounded  by  a  forest. 

"At  him!"  shouted  Diego  de  Soto,  rising 
in  his  stirrups  and  shaking  his  lance.  Find- 
ing himself  unable  to  regain  the  forest,  the 
154 


THE    FIRST   WINTER    IN    FLORIDA 

Indian  placed  his  back  against  an  isolated 
tree  in  the  cornfield,  fixed  an  arrow  in  his 
bow,  and  calmly  awaited  his  enemy.  As  he 
pranced  up  to  the  tree,  Diego  de  Soto  made 
a  pass  at  the  Indian  with  his  lance,  which 
the  latter  dodged,  and  then  let  loose  an 
arrow.  It  struck  the  horse  in  a  vital  spot, 
and  he  fell  dead  in  less  than  twenty  paces. 

Then  Diego  Valasquez  took  a  hand  in  the 
affray,  but  met  with  no  better  luck  than  his 
companion.  He  missed  the  savage  with  his 
lance,  and  an  arrow  was  buried  in  the  body 
of  his  horse,  just  back  of  the  saddle-girth, 
and  the  noble  beast  stumbled  headlong  to 
his  death.  Enraged  beyond  expression  at 
the  loss  of  their  gallant  steeds,  the  two 
cavaliers  sprang  for  the  Indian  with  their 
lances;  but  he  was  more  than  their  equal 
afoot,  and  fled  to  the  forest,  keeping  just 
beyond  reach  of  their  weapons  and  jeering 
them  all  the  way. 

The  two  Diegos  walked  ruefully  back  to 
camp,  where  they  had  to  endure  the  gibes 
of  their  comrades  also.  But  they  were  far 
more  fortunate  than  two  other  horsemen, 
Simon  Rodriguez  and  Roque  de  Yelves, 
who  rode  out  one  afternoon  to  gather  wild 
grapes  at  the  edge  of  the  forest.  Leaving 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

their  horses  at  the  foot  of  a  tree,  they  climbed 
up  into  the  branches,  where  the  vines  were 
thick  with  fruit. 

Some  savages  discovered  them  there,  and 
shot  them  with  barbed  arrows.  As  they  fell 
to  the  ground,  their  horses  broke  loose  and 
fled  wildly  to  the  camp,  pursued  by  bow- 
shots from  the  Indians.  One  of  them  had 
a  few  drops  of  blood  on  his  thigh,  but  noth- 
ing was  thought  of  it  at  the  time.  Next 
morning  he  was  dead,  and  when  opened  an 
arrow  was  found  in  his  entrails,  which  had 
entered  his  thigh  at  the  spot  where  the  drops 
of  blood  were  seen. 


XII 

THE    TRACKLESS    WILDERNESS 
1540 

THE  scenery  of  Apalachee  province  was 
varied  and  beautiful,  and  its  agricult- 
ural resources  so  great  that  the  Spaniards 
had  subsisted  for  five  months  upon  the  coun- 
try in  their  immediate  vicinity  without  for- 
aging more  than  five  miles  from  their  camp. 
But  of  gold,  the  real  object  of  their  quest, 
they  had  found  no  trace.  There  was  none  in 
the  country,  though  in  a  province  which  lay 
to  the  north  and  east,  some  Indians  told  De 
So  to,  there  was  "great  store"  of  the  precious 
metal. 

The  easy  credulity  of  the  Spaniards  and 
the  eagerness  with  which  they  seized  upon 
any  chance  bit  of  gossip  relating  to  gold,  we 
find  quaintly  set  forth  in  the  narrative  of  the 
Portuguese  member  of  their  company  styled 
the  "Fidalgo."  "Of  the  Indians  taken  in 
Napetuca,"  he  states,  "the  treasurer,  Juan 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

de  Gay  tan,  brought  a  youth  with  him  who 
said  that  he  did  not  belong  to  that  country, 
but  to  one  afar,  in  the  direction  of  the  sun's 
rising,  from  which  he  had  been  a  long  time 
absent,  visiting  other  lands.  That  its  name 
was  Yupaha,  and  was  governed  by  a  woman, 
the  town  she  lived  in  being  of  astonishing 
size,  and  many  neighboring  lords  her  trib- 
utaries, some  of  whom  gave  her  clothing, 
others  gold  in  quantity. 

"  He  showed  how  the  metal  was  taken 
from  the  earth,  melted,  and  refined,  exactly 
as  though  he  had  seen  it  all  done ;  or  else  the 
devil  had  taught  him  how  it  was;  and  they 
who  knew  aught  of  such  matters  declared  it 
impossible  that  he  could  give  that  account 
without  having  been  an  eye-witness,  and 
they  who  beheld  the  signs  he  made  credited 
all  that  was  understood  as  certain." 

This  valuable  information  was  conveyed 
entirely  by  signs,  for  the  interpreter,  Juan 
Ortiz,  did  not  understand  the  speech  of  this 
youth  who  had  come  from  the  land  of  the 
sunrise;  but,  on  the  strength  of  this  vague 
assurance  of  gold  existing  somewhere  beyond 
the  wilderness,  the  governor  issued  orders 
for  the  expedition  to  march.  Refreshed  by 
the  long  stay  in  a  land  of  plenty,  with  most 
158 


THE    TRACKLESS    WILDERNESS 

of  the  soldiers  in  fine  fettle,  and  the  horses  in 
good  condition,  the  army  was  once  more  set 
in  motion,  and  another  chapter  was  opened 
in  that  book  of  horrors  with  its  letters  writ- 
ten in  blood. 

That  the  winter  had  not  passed  without 
other  tragedies  than  those  we  have  recorded 
is  shown  by  a  casual  remark  of  the  narrator 
already  referred  to,  who  says :  "  The  governor 
ordered  his  men  to  go  provided  with  maize 
for  a  march  through  sixty  leagues  of  desert. 
The  cavalry  carried  their  grain  on  the  horses, 
and  the  infantry  theirs  on  the  back ;  because 
the  Indians  they  brought  with  them  for  ser- 
vice, being  naked  and  in  chains,  had  perished, 
in  great  part,  during  the  winter." 

After  a  short  stay  at  a  place  called  Capa- 
chiqui,  the  march  was  resumed,  with  De  So  to 
in  the  advance,  at  the  head  of  his  horsemen. 
He  was  anxious  to  reach  the  golden  coun- 
try, and,  impatient  with  the  plodding  foot- 
soldiers,  laden  as  they  were  with  packs  of 
provisions,  in  addition  to  their  heavy  weap- 
ons and  armor,  he  dashed  off  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  wilderness.  In  the  province  of 
Atapaha,  the  name  of  which  is  still  borne  by 
a  river  of  that  region,  he  found  a  town, 
called  by  some  Toalli,  and  by  others  Achese, 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

which  was  the  best-built  of  any  he  had  seen. 
The  huts,  or  houses,  had  their  walls  plastered 
with  clay,  while  -the  roofs  were  covered  with 
cane,  "after  the  fashion  of  tile."  Every 
Indian  of  prominence,  he  found,  had  a  hut 
for  summer-time,  as  well  as  for  winter,  and 
the  latter  was  plastered  inside  and  out.  It 
had  a  very  small  door,  which  was  closed  at 
night  in  cold  weather,  and  when  a  fire  was 
started  the  room  became  so  warm  that  the 
inmates  slept  without  any  clothing. 

As  to  the  costumes  of  these  people:  while 
the  women  wore  finely  dressed  deerskins  and 
shawls  made  of  grass,  the  men  considered 
themselves  in  "full  dress"  with  a  breech- 
cloth  and  a  blanket,  the  latter  cast  over  the 
shoulder,  "after  the  manner  of  the  gypsies." 
The  warriors  were  an  independent  band  of 
braves,  who  at  once  demanded  of  De  Soto 
whence  he  came,  why  he  came,  and  what  he 
wanted.  He  replied  that  he  came  in  peace, 
that  his  object  was  to  convert  them  to  his 
religion,  and  that  he  sought  for  gold. 

"He  told  the  cacique  that  he  was  going 
about  the  country  seeking  for  the  greatest 
prince  there  and  the  richest  province."  The 
cacique  rejoined  that  he  was  the  greatest 
prince,  but  that  the  richest  province  lay  far 
1 60 


THE    TRACKLESS  WILDERNESS 

to  the  northward  and  eastward.  Still,  he 
had  an  abundance  of  supplies,  such  as  wild 
turkeys,  partridges,  conies,  and  native  dogs, 
which  he  gave  the  Spaniards  on  request. 

The  dogs  were  especially  appreciated, 
their  meat  being  tender  and  finely  flavored. 
Though  the  Spaniards  had  thus  far  been  able 
to  subsist  on  such  vegetable  food  as  they 
could  forage  in  the  Indian  fields,  they  were 
famishing  for  meat.  "On  this  account,  the 
dogs  were  as  much  esteemed  by  the  Chris- 
tians as  though  they  had  been  fat  sheep," 
and  many  an  invalid  soldier,  when  sinking 
from  debility,  would  say,  "  Now,  if  I  had  but 
a  slice  of  meat,  or  only  a  few  lumps  of  salt,  I 
should  not  thus  die!" 

The  Indians  never  lacked  for  meat  in  this 
country  so  plentifully  supplied  with  wild 
game,  as  they  were  very  skilful  in  shooting 
and  snaring  it;  while  the  soldiers  not  only 
were  unskilled,  but  dared  not,  when  in  the 
forests,  stray  from  the  line  of  march.  "  Such 
was  the  craving  for  meat,"  says  one  of  them, 
"that  when  the  six  hundred  men  who  fol- 
lowed So  to  arrived  at  a  town,  and  found 
there  twenty  or  thirty  dogs,  he  who  could  get 
sight  of  one  and  kill  it  thought  he  had  done 
no  little ;  and  he  who  proved  himself  so  ac- 
161 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

tive,  if  his  captain  knew  of  it,  and  he  for- 
got to  send  him  a  quarter,  would  show  his 
displeasure  and  make  him  feel  it  in  the  night 
watches." 

Besides  provisions,  the  cacique  gave  De 
So  to  the  services  of  four  hundred  carriers, 
who  were  to  carry  his  luggage  into  the  ad- 
joining province,  the  ruler  of  which  was  one 
Patofa,  a  mighty  man  of  war.  Before  De 
Soto  parted  from  his  hospitable  friend,  he 
made  him  a  present  of  the  one  piece  of 
ordnance,  probably  a  falconet,  that  he  had 
thus  far  brought  with  him  from  Espiritu 
Santo.  It  had  been  hauled  all  the  way,  by 
great  exertions,  and,  so  far  as  the  records 
show,  had  never  been  fired  in  battle.  As 
even  the  arquebuses  were  too  slow  of  fire, 
and  cumbersome,  when  opposed  to  the 
Indian  archers  (who  could  send  from  their 
bows  at  least  a  dozen  arrows  to  one  dis- 
charge of  the  fire-arm),  the  cannon  had  been 
found  of  little  use.  So  the  governor  gave  it 
to  the  cacique,  who  was  filled  with  delight, 
and  when  it  was  fired,  shattering  an  oak- 
tree  with  its  heavy  ball,  he  was  overwhelmed 
with  amazement  and  terror. 

It  is  doubtful  if  that  cannon  was  ever  dis- 
charged again,  as  the  Indians  had  no  powder, 
162 


THE  TRACKLESS  WILDERNESS 

and  knew  not  how  to  load  and  fire  it  if  they 
had.  Nor,  so  far  as  we  can  tell,  was  it  seen 
again  by  civilized  man,  after  the  soldiers  of 
De  Soto  filed  through  the  forest  trails  on 
their  way  to  the  next  province.  As  the  gift 
of  his  white  friend,  the  "Son  of  the  Sun,"  it 
was  carefully  guarded  by  the  cacique,  and,  as 
a  potent  engine  of  destruction  possessed  of 
mysterious  powers,  it  may  have  been  sacred- 
ly cherished,  even  revered  as  a  god,  by  those 
pagans  of  the  Floridian  forests. 

From  Atapaha,  where  De  Soto  had  been  so 
generously  entertained,  he  passed  to  the 
province  of  Cofaqui,  the  cacique  of  which, 
already  informed  of  his  coming,  met  him  on 
the  frontier,  with  a  retinue  of  richly  costumed 
warriors.  He  desired  to  detain  the  Span- 
iards in  his  territory,  but  De  Soto  was  intent 
upon  seeing  with  his  own  eyes  the  province 
of  Cofachiqui,  in  which  were  the  mines  of 
gold,  and  where  lived  the  fair  cacica,  or 
female  cacique.  He  would  not  tarry,  there- 
fore, longer  than  was  necessary  to  rest  his 
men  and  prepare  for  the  crossing  of  the  in- 
tervening desert,  which  was  reported  to  be 
a  seven  days'  journey  in  extent.  As  few 
living  things  existed  there  by  which  life 
might  be  sustained  on  the  way,  all  supplies 
163 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

must  be  carried  along,  and  the  cacique  or- 
dered his  subjects  to  gather  vast  quantities 
of  walnuts,  acorns,  dried  plums,  and  grapes. 
These  Indians  had  no  dogs,  and  were  not  so 
expert  at  snaring  game  as  their  neighbors,  so 
the  Spaniards  looked  forward,  perforce,  to 
a  vegetarian  diet,  at  which  they  grumbled 
greatly. 

Four  thousand  warriors  were  quickly  as- 
sembled by  Cacique  Patofa,  and  four  thou- 
sand carriers  to  transport  the  supplies. 
When  De  Soto  expressed  surprise  at  the 
gathering  of  such  a  host,  and  intimated  that 
the  warriors,  at  least,  might  be  left  behind  to 
advantage,  the  cacique  replied  that  a  perpet- 
ual enmity  had  existed  between  his  tribe  and 
the  Cofachiquis,  and  as  they  were  stronger 
than  his  people,  he  was  going  to  avail  himself 
of  the  protection  afforded  by  the  Spaniards 
to  wreak  vengeance  on  his  enemies. 

This  frank  admission  somewhat  perplexed 
the  governor,  whose  general  policy  was  to 
conciliate  the  natives  rather  than  incense 
them,  and  he  especially  desired  to  cultivate 
the  friendship  of  the  Cofachiquis,  in  whose 
keeping  was  the  treasure  he  had  been  seek- 
ing so  long.  But  Cacique  Patofa  was  a  living 
presence,  while  Cofachiqui  was  a  far  country, 
164 


THE    TRACKLESS   WILDERNESS 

which  he  could  only  reach,  if  at  all,  by  the  as- 
sistance of  his  savage  friend.  So  he  remained 
silent,  though  revolving  in  his  mind  how  he 
should  rid  himself  of  such  troublesome  allies 
when  they  were  no  longer  necessary. 

He  was  not  long  left  in  doubt  as  to  the 
actual  intentions  of  Patofa,  who,  in  order  to 
impress  his  white  friend  with  his  prowess, 
threw  aside  his  rich  mantle  of  marten  skin, 
which  served  him  as  a  royal  toga,  and,  seizing 
a  great  wooden  broadsword,  cut  and  thrust 
with  it  at  an  imaginary  enemy,  and  so  skil- 
fully as  to  elicit  De  Soto's  admiration.  Ad- 
dressing his  warriors  and  the  assembled 
Spaniards,  he  then  said,  "I  have  pledged 
my  word  that,  with  the  assistance  of  these 
strangers,  now  our  friends,  I  will  avenge 
the  insults,  the  deaths,  and  the  losses  our  fa- 
thers have  sustained  from  the  Cofachiquis. 
And  my  vengeance  shall  be  such  that  the 
memory  of  past  defeats  shall  be  wiped  away 
forever." 

Believing  it  best  to  dissemble  his  real  feel- 
ings, De  Soto  made  no  reply  to  the  cacique's 
boastful  speech,  but  gave  him  a  cap  of  yellow 
satin,  a  shirt,  and  a  silver  plume,  at  the  same 
time  directing  him  to  reverence  the  cross, 
which  he  had  set  up  on  a  mound  in  the 

za  165 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

village,  and  make  his  devotions  before  it. 
This  the  cacique  promised  to  do,  and,  holding 
the  ornament  aloft,  he  said,  "You  are  from 
heaven,  and  this  plume  of  yours,  which  you 
have  given  me :  I  can  eat  with  it,  I  shall  sleep 
with  it,  and  I  shall  go  to  war  with  it!" 

"That  is  so,"  replied  the  governor,  "you 
can  do  all  that."  Then  the  two  embraced, 
and  all  present  repaired  to  tables  set  beneath 
the  trees,  where  they  feasted  and  made 
merry;  the  Spaniards  in  their  shining  armor 
and  the  savages  in  their  breech-clouts  and 
blankets  of  deerskin. 

They  were  to  start  on  the  following  morn- 
ing, but  were  delayed  somewhat  by  an  un- 
toward event — namely,  the  strange  conduct 
of  their  guide,  a  young  lad  named  Perico, 
whom  they  had  brought  from  Apalachee. 
He  was  to  lead  them  to  Cofachiqui,  but, 
perhaps  repenting  of  his  promise,  suddenly 
went  mad,  frothing  at  the  mouth,  and  rav- 
ing like  a  maniac. 

He  had  chosen  the  hour  of  midnight  for 
his  outbreak,  and,  fearing  the  treachery  of 
their  host,  whose  warriors  outnumbered  them 
ten  to  one,  the  soldiery  were  in  a  panic.  "To 
arms!  To  arms!"  sounded  the  trumpets. 
Helmets  and  breastplates  were  donned  in 
166 


THE  TRACKLESS  WILDERNESS 

haste,  and  weapons  seized,  the  first  that 
came  to  hand. 

When  Perico's  hut  was  entered,  he  was 
found  trembling  in  affright,  and  so  weak  he 
could  not  stand.  Commanded  to  tell  what 
had  occurred,  he  declared  that  he  had  been 
assailed  by  a  demon — a  most  frightful  mon- 
ster, with  a  host  of  little  imps  in  his  train, 
who  had  beaten  him  until  he  fainted.  The 
moment  the  Spaniards  appeared,  however, 
they  promptly  vanished,  from  which  circum- 
stance he  was  convinced  it  was  the  devil  that 
had  attacked  him,  and,  to  guard  against 
future  visits,  he  desired  to  become  a  Chris- 
tian and  be  baptized.  A  priest  who  was 
standing  by,  one  Friar  John,  solemnly  shook 
his  head  and  said  it  was  even  so;  the  youth 
was  certainly  possessed  of  a  devil,  and  he 
would  exorcise  the  arch  fiend  at  once.  This 
he  did  by  the  laying  on  of  hands,  and  the 
afflicted  boy  recovered  so  quickly  that  all 
beholding  were  amazed. 

The  desert,  or  wilderness,  proved  to  be  so, 
merely,  in  the  sense  of  being  uninhabited,  or 
despoblado,  as  the  Spaniards  termed  it.  It 
really  comprised  a  beautiful  country,  with 
tree  -  crowned  hills  and  rugged  mountains, 
grassy  glades  and  foaming  rivers.  A  great 
167 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

deal  of  game  was  captured  by  the  Indian 
hunters,  but  on  the  seventh  day  out  the 
provisions  became  entirely  exhausted,  for 
there  were  nearly  nine  thousand  mouths  to 
feed.  To  add  to  the  perplexity  of  the  com- 
manders, the  broad  road,  or  well-defined 
trail,  which  they  had  been  following,  abrupt- 
ly terminated,  and  they  found  themselves 
confronted  with  an  apparently  impenetrable 
forest. 

Both  commanders  became  quite  testy, 
and  their  men  suffered  in  consequence,  for 
they  insisted  upon  the  strictest  discipline 
being  maintained,  even  though  their  fol- 
lowers were  on  the  verge  of  starvation.  One 
of  the  Spaniards,  a  young  man  named 
Cadena,  lost  or  misplaced  his  sword,  and  the 
governor  ordered  him  to  be  hanged  at  once. 
He  finally  escaped  the  dread  penalty  through 
the  intervention  of  his  captain ;  but  an  Indian 
who  had  been  made  prisoner,  and  who  re- 
fused to  reveal  the  road  to  Cofachiqui,  was, 
by  order  of  De  Soto,  burned  at  the  stake. 

Not  to  be  behind  his  rival  in  respect  to 
discipline,  Cacique  Patofa  made  an  example 
of  a  warrior  who  had  deserted,  by  inflicting 
a  peculiar  punishment.  He  had  him  stripped 
and  thrown  down  upon  the  bank  of  a  small 
168 


THE    TRACKLESS    WILDERNESS 

stream  that  flowed  through  his  camp.  Then, 
while  two  Indians  stood  over  him  with  clubs, 
he  was  ordered  to  drink  the  streamlet  dry. 
The  poor  wretch  did  his  best;  but  still  the 
stream  flowed  on,  and  whenever  he  ceased, 
from  inability  to  perform  the  hopeless  task, 
he  was  cruelly  belabored  by  the  Indians  with 
their  clubs.  Patofa  declared  that  he  should 
dry  up  the  stream  or  drink  till  he  died ;  but 
the  sympathies  of  De  Soto  were  enlisted,  and 
he  interceded  so  effectually  that  the  warrior 
was  released. 


XIII 

THE    PRINCESS    AND    HER    PEARLS 
1540 

DE  SOTO  encamped  in  a  pine  grove  on 
the  bank  of  a  deep  river,  and  there 
awaited  the  return  of  his  scouts.  Most  of 
the  weary  troopers  came  back  at  nightfall, 
one  after  another,  driving  their  horses  be- 
fore them  with  sticks  or  leading  them  by  the 
bridle,  but  without  having  found  any  road 
or  sign  of  settlement.  They  were  famished, 
as  well  as  worn  with  fatigue,  and,  as  the 
maize,  acorns,  wild  grapes,  and  even  the 
roots  and  herbs,  were  exhausted,  the  govern- 
or ordered  some  of  the  swine  to  be  slaugh- 
tered, giving  to  each  man  half  a  pound  of 
pork.  This  allowance  was  not  sufficient 
to  allay  their  hunger,  but  served  to  sustain 
them  a  little  longer,  and  meanwhile  four 
parties  of  cavalry  were  sent  out  again  to 
scour  the  country. 

Juan  de  Anasco  proved  the  successful  scout, 
170 


THE    PRINCESS    AND    HER    PEARLS 

for,  after  travelling  down-stream,  along  the 
river-bank,  three  days  and  nights,  he  espied 
an  isolated  hamlet.  It  held  but  few  in- 
habitants at  the  time,  but  proved  to  be  well 
supplied  with  provisions,  one  barbacoa,  or 
corn -crib,  containing  five  hundred  measures 
of  meal  made  from  parched  maize  and  a 
great  quantity  of  corn  on  the  cob.  The 
famished  Spaniards  soon  allayed  the  crav- 
ings of  hunger,  and  Anasco  sent  back  mes- 
sengers to  the  governor  and  his  people,  "  who 
were  as  much  delighted  as  though  they  had 
been  raised  from  death  to  life." 

They  broke  camp  immediately  and  pushed 
forward  to  the  village,  which  De  Soto  apt- 
ly named  Socorro,  or  Succor,  and  where  he 
remained  until  all  his  scattered  troopers  had 
come  in.  For  their  information  he  had  or- 
dered an  inscription  cut  into  the  bark  of 
a  pine-tree:  "Dig  here;  at  the  root  of  this 
pine  you  will  find  a  letter." 

He  reached  Socorro  on  a  Monday,  and  by 
Wednesday  the  three  captains,  who  had  been 
scouting  in  various  directions,  came  strag- 
gling in,  with  nothing  to  add  as  to  other  vil- 
lages existing  in  the  country.  But  one  of 
them  exhibited  to  De  Soto  a  skull  and  pair 
of  horns  which  he  had  found,  and  which 
171 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

puzzled  them  all  exceedingly.  They  had 
heard  of  herds  of  cattle  owned  by  the  Ind- 
ians, and  occasionally  had  been  treated  to 
a  taste  of  beef,  but  could  not  learn  where 
those  herds  were  kept.  The  truth  is,  those 
"Indian  cattle"  were  bison,  or  buffalo, 
which  once  roamed  the  prairies  of  the  region 
traversed  by  De  Soto  in  the  year  1540  and 
thereafter. 

The  Spaniards  remained  at  Socorro  a 
week,  during  which  time  diligent  inquiry 
was  made  for  other  villages,  and  the  coun- 
try was  explored  in  every  direction.  Four 
Indians  were  captured,  "not  one  of  whom 
would  say  anything  else  than  that  he  knew  of 
no  other  town."  The  governor  ordered  one 
of  them  to  be  burned,  and  thereupon  another 
said  that  two  days'  journey  from  there  was 
a  province  called  Cofachiqui.  Socorro,  in 
fact,  was  a  frontier  village  of  Cofachiqui, 
and  several  other  settlements  were  discov- 
ered as  the  march  was  resumed  down  the 
river;  but  all  were  deserted,  and  had  been 
recently  ravaged.  While  the  houses  con- 
tained an  abundance  of  provisions,  and  while 
the  broad  fields  of  maize  had  been  carefully 
cultivated,  showing  that  their  owners  could 
not  have  been  long  absent,  not  a  living  soul 
172 


THE    PRINCESS    AND    HER    PEARLS 

came  forth  to  greet  or  repel  the  Spaniards. 
But,  scattered  along  the  trails,  floating  in 
the  river,  and  out-stretched  upon  the  thresh- 
olds of  many  a  deserted  hut,  were  the  mu- 
tilated corpses  of  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren who  had  been  barbarously  murdered 
and  scalped.  Patofa's  bands  had  preceded 
the  Spaniards,  and  had  taken  vengeance 
upon  their  ancient  enemies,  the  Cofachi- 
quis.  Well  aware  that  De  Soto  would  not 
countenance  such  atrocities,  they  had  com- 
mitted the  massacres  stealthily,  and  had 
pressed  so  far  ahead  of  their  allies  that  it 
was  difficult  for  the  governor  to  overtake 
them. 

Calling  his  captains  around  him,  and  point- 
ing to  the  scalpless  corpses  collected  by  his 
orders  and  heaped  up  in  the  public  square  of 
the  village  he  had  last  entered,  De  Soto  ex- 
claimed, indignantly:  "Gentlemen,  this  must 
not  be  permitted  to  go  on.  We  are,  as  you 
know,  marching  into  an  unknown  country, 
and  on  the  frontier  of  a  province  richer  than 
any  other  we  have  entered.  The  queen  of 
that  province  is  reputed  wealthy  and  pow- 
erful, and  it  behooves  us  to  cultivate  her 
friendship  rather  than  incur  her  enmity. 
Go,  then,  forward,  with  your  swiftest  horse- 
173 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

men,  and  by  all  means  intercept  our  ally, 
the  cacique.  Tell  him  to  return,  to  come  to 
me  at  once,  for  I  wish  to  say  certain  things 
to  him  of  moment." 

In  this  tenor  spake  the  governor  to  his 
captains,  and  they  obeyed  him  so  well  and 
so  promptly  that  soon  they  had  found  and 
turned  back  the  cacique,  who  came  willingly, 
inasmuch  as  his  vengeance  had  been  sated, 
and  he  already  had  in  his  possession  hun- 
dreds of  scalps,  which  he  would  take  back 
to  his  people  as  trophies  of  his  prowess. 
When,  therefore,  De  So  to  said  he  had  sent 
for  the  purpose  of  dismissing  him  with 
thanks  and  rich  presents,  and  begged  that 
he  would  return,  Patofa  assented,  saying  that 
he  was  satisfied,  for  he  had  done  his  duty  by 
his  ancestors,  and  their  manes  were  appeased. 
He  and  his  braves  then  returned  to  Cofaqui, 
while  the  Spaniards  kept  on  to  Cofachiqui, 
which  they  reached  a  few  days  later,  with  the 
gallant  Juan  de  Anasco  in  the  lead.  At  the 
head  of  a  reconnoissance  he  discovered  an 
Indian  village  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the 
river,  which,  from  its  size,  he  imagined  to 
be  a  place  of  importance,  perhaps  the  resi- 
dence of  the  chief.  He  approached  it  at 
night,  and,  having  stealthily  made  his  way 
174 


THE    PRINCESS    AND   HER   PEARLS 

to  the  river-bank,  where  was  a  landing-place 
for  canoes,  and  from  which  he  could  see 
innumerable  lights  and  hear  the  confused 
murmur  of  many  voices,  he  returned  to 
report  to  his  commander.  Promptly  at 
dawn  the  next  day  De  Soto  placed  himself 
at  the  head  of  a  hundred  horsemen  and 
advanced  directly  upon  the  town.  When 
arrived  at  the  river -bank  he  drew  up  his 
troopers  in  battle  array,  in  order  to  make 
the  most  imposing  appearance  possible,  and 
directed  Juan  Ortiz  to  say  to  the  astounded 
Indians  gathered  on  the  opposite  bank  that 
he  had  a  message  for  their  cacique. 

A  grave  and  dignified  warrior  advanced  a 
tew  paces  and  demanded :  "  Come  ye  in  peace 
or  in  war?" 

"In  peace,"  replied  De  Soto,  through  the 
interpreter.  "  We  desire  only  to  speak  with 
your  cacique,  and  to  have  a  free  passage 
through  your  province,  with  provisions  by 
the  way." 

"It  is  well,"  replied  the  warrior.  "I  will 
speak  to  my  queen."  He  then  made  three 
profound  salaams,  the  first  towards  the  sun, 
in  the  east;  the  second  towards  the  moon, 
in  the  west;  the  third  towards  De  Soto,  who 
returned  the  salute  most  courteously. 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

Soon  after,  a  commotion  was  observed  in 
the  village,  where  a  procession  was  being 
formed  in  front  of  the  principal  dwelling,  and 
there  later  emerged  from  it  a  litter,  or  rustic 
palanquin,  in  which  was  seated  a  lovely 
Indian  maid.  The  palanquin  was  borne  on 
the  shoulders  of  four  stout  men,  who  lowered 
it  at  the  water -side  and  assisted  the  occu- 
pant, who  was  undoubtedly  a  princess  or 
queen,  into  a  large  and  gayly  decorated 
canoe.  There  she  reclined  on  soft  cushions, 
beneath  a  canopy  or  awning  supported  on 
lances  held  by  stalwart  warriors.  Eight 
comely  attendants  of  her  own  sex  surrounded 
and  waited  on  this  barbaric  princess,  whose 
barge  of  state  was  taken  in  tow  by  another 
grand  canoe,  filled  with  warriors  and  paddled 
by  half-naked  Indians.  In  this  manner  she 
approached  the  bank  on  which  De  Soto 
awaited  her,  seated  in  a  gilded  chair,  like 
a  throne,  and  surrounded  by  his  captains 
in  their  shining  armor.  These  brilliantly 
costumed  strangers,  with  their  caparisoned 
steeds  and  wonderful  weapons,  were  things 
entirely  new  in  the  experience  of  this 
simple  princess  of  the  wilds;  but  she  man- 
ifested neither  alarm  nor  surprise  as  she 
landed  from  the  barge  and  calmly  took  her 
176 


THE    PRINCESS   AND   HER   PEARLS 

seat  on  a  large  stool  provided  by  an  at- 
tendant. 

Then,  with  the  aid  of  the  interpreters, 
Juan  Ortiz  and  Perico,  the  Indian  boy,  she 
and  De  Soto  conversed  together,  while  their 
attendants  preserved  a  discreet  silence.  The 
Spaniards  were  impressed  with  her  modesty, 
as  well  as  her  dignity,  grace,  and  beauty  of 
form  and  feature.  She  made  a  little  speech, 
and  a  very  pretty  one,  if  we  may  believe  the 
"Fidalgo  of  Elvas,"  who  was  one  of  the 
cavaliers  present  at  the  interview,  and  who 
thus  reports  it:  " Excellent  lord,  be  this  com- 
ing to  these  your  shores  most  happy.  My 
ability  can  in  no  way  equal  my  wishes,  nor 
my  services  become  the  merits  of  so  great 
a  prince ;  nevertheless,  good  wishes  are  to 
be  valued  more  than  all  the  treasures  of 
the  earth  without  them.  With  sincerest  and 
purest  good -will,  I  tender  you  my  person, 
my  lands,  my  people,  and  make  you  these 
small  gifts." 

While  she  was  speaking  she  had  been 
toying  with  a  necklace  of  beautiful  pearls, 
which  "passed  three  times  round  her  neck 
and  descended  to  her  waist,  so  many  there 
were."  After  disengaging  the  necklace,  she 
handed  it  to  Juan  Ortiz,  with  the  request  that 
177 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

he  give  it  to  De  Soto.  When  told  that  the 
governor  would  appreciate  it  most  highly  if 
received  from  her  own  hands,  she  shrank 
back  timidly,  saying  that  she  could  not  do 
so  with  propriety.  When  urged,  however, 
she  rose,  and  with  a  shy  laugh  threw  the 
precious  rope  of  pearls  about  his  neck,  he 
stooping  to  receive  the  gift,  with  that  knight- 
ly courtesy  for  which  he  was  ever  celebrated. 
In  return  he  placed  upon  one  of  her  fingers 
a  ring  of  gold  set  with  a  ruby,  with  which 
she  was  far  more  pleased  than  with  the 
pearls,  and  thanked  him  gratefully. 

Then,  the  interview  terminated,  he  handed 
her  into  her  canoe,  with  helmet  doffed  the 
while,  his  captains  likewise  showing  the 
princess  those  respectful  attentions  which 
are  so  highly  appreciated  by  the  gentler  sex, 
whether  living  in  the  forest  or  at  court.  The 
cavaliers  were  glad,  indeed,  to  behold  this 
lovely  apparition,  suggestive  of  state  and 
royalty;  and  though  she  was  only  half  clad, 
in  skins  and  not  in  silks,  and  her  complexion 
was  nut-brown  in  hue,  her  tresses  raven 
black,  they  became  quite  enthusiastic  in 
her  praise.  Her  attendant  maidens  were 
equally  discreet.  Their  eyes  fell  shyly  as 
they  beheld  the  bold  glances  of  the  soldiers, 


THE    PRINCESS   AND   HER   PEARLS 

but  they  could  not  refrain  from  looking  ad- 
miringly at  those  martial  figures  cased  in 
.armor. 

The  cacica  had  offered  De  Soto  not  only 
half  her  house,  but  half  the  village  for  his 
soldiers,  and,  by  her  direction,  on  the  follow- 
ing day  rafts  and  canoes  were  sent  over  to 
ferry  the  army  across  the  river.  In  due  time, 
all  had  crossed  over,  though  several  horses 
were  lost  in  the  rapids  and  whirlpools  with 
which  the  river  abounded,  having  been  un- 
wisely forced  into  them  by  their  riders.  A 
portion  of  the  army  was  quartered  in  the 
village,  but  the  bulk  of  the  soldiers  were 
lodged  in  capacious  wigwams,  which  the 
princess  had  ordered  built  in  a  large  mulberry 
grove  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  After  all 
their  toils  and  battles,  many  of  them  would 
gladly  have  settled  here,  taking  the  Indian 
maidens  for  wives,  and  have  made  the  be- 
ginnings of  a  settlement ;  and  it  would  have 
been  better  for  many  of  them  if  they  had 
done  so,  for  they  marched  thence  to  misery 
and  to  death. 

The  country  was  open,  fertile,  and  attrac- 
tive, with  great  groves  of  walnuts  and  mul- 
berries, fine  streams,  and  extensive  grazing- 
lands.  Two  or  three  leagues  distant  from 
179 


FERDINAND   DE   SOTO 

the  village  was  another,  the  houses  in  which 
were  abodes  of  bats  and  owls,  for  it  had  been 
abandoned  by  the  Indians  on  account  of  a 
pestilence  which  had  swept  the  land.  In  the 
old  town  were  many  sepulchres,  filled,  the 
natives  told  the  Spaniards,  with  treasures  of 
various  sorts,  such  as  skins  of  fur -bearing 
animals  and  pearls.  Despite  the  pestilence, 
of  which  many  of  the  inmates  of  these  sep- 
ulchres had  died,  they  were  ravaged  by  the 
soldiers,  who  secured  vast  quantities  of  pearls, 
which  they  later  threw  away  or  lost  on  the 
march. 

"The  cacica,"  says  one  of  her  guests, 
"observing  that  the  Christians  valued  pearls, 
told  the  governor  that,  if  he  cared  to  order 
those  sepulchres  searched  that  were  in  her 
town,  he  would  find  many ;  and  if  he  chose 
to  send  to  those  that  were  in  the  abandoned 
towns,  he  might  load  all  his  horses  with  them. 
They  examined  those  that  were  in  the  town, 
and  found  three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds' 
weight  of  pearls,  and  figures  of  babies  and 
birds  made  of  them." 

There  were  found,  also,  breastplates,  glass 
beads,  and  armor.  When  the  governor  ex- 
claimed at  the  sight  of  so  many  pearls,  the 
cacica  simply  said :  "  Do  you  consider  that  of 
180 


THE    PRINCESS    AND    HER    PEARLS 

much  account?  Go,  then,  to  Talimico,  an- 
other village  of  mine  about  a  league  from 
this,  and  you  will  find  so  many  that  your 
horses  cannot  carry  them."  The  governor 
replied:  "Let  them  stay  there,  then.  To 
whom  God  gives  a  gift,  may  St.  Peter  bless 
it."  With  this  enigmatical  reply,  it  is 
thought,  he  would  have  diverted  attention 
from  this  deposit  of  pearls,  with  the  inten- 
tion, perhaps,  of  returning  to  secure  them 
at  a  more  convenient  time. 

"That  same  day,"  wrote  Rodrigo  Ranjel, 
his  secretary,  "the  governor  and  some  of 
his  staff  entered  a  mosque  and  oratory  of 
this  heathen  people,  and,  opening  some 
burying-places,  they  found  some  bodies  of 
men  fastened  on  a  barbacoa.  Their  breasts, 
necks,  arms,  and  legs  were  adorned  with 
pearls;  and  as  they  were  taking  them  off, 
Ranjel  saw  something  green,  like  an  emer- 
ald of  good  quality,  and  he  showed  it  to 
the  governor,  who  was  much  rejoiced,  and 
he  ordered  him  to  look  out  of  the  enclosure 
and  call  Juan  de  Afiasco,  their  majesties' 
treasurer.  Then  Ranjel  said  to  him,  '  My 
lord,  let  us  not  call  any  one,  for  it  may  be 
that  this  is  a  precious  stone  or  jewel.' 

"  The  governor  replied  somewhat  angrily, 
*3  181 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

and  said,  '  Even  if  it  be  one,  are  we  to  steal 
it  ?'  When  Juan  de  Afiasco  came  they  took 
out  this  supposed  emerald,  and  it  was  but  a 
bit  of  glass,  and  there  were  also  other  and 
many  beads  of  glass,  as  well  as  rosaries  with 
their  crosses.  They  also  found  Biscayan 
axes  of  iron;  from  all  this  recognizing  that 
they  were  in  the  territory  where  the  lawyer, 
Lucas  Vasquez  de  Ayllon,  came  to  his  ruin. 
...  In  the  mosque,  or  house  of  worship,  at 
Talimico,  there  were  found  breastplates  re- 
sembling corselets,  and  head-pieces  made  of 
raw-hide  with  the  hair  scraped  off,  also  very 
good  shields." 

The  axes,  armor,  and  beads  were,  doubt- 
less, relics  of  the  ill-fated  expedition  of 
Vasquez  de  Ayllon,  a  lawyer  from  Santo 
Domingo,  who  had  landed  on  the  coast  of 
what  is  now  South  Carolina  in  quest  of 
Indian  slaves.  One  cargo  had  been  sent  to 
Santo  Domingo;  but  on  the  second  voyage, 
Ayllon  and  his  companions  were  set  upon 
and  massacred,  to  the  number  of  more  than 
two  hundred,  and  the  rich  plunder  was 
probably  distributed  among  the  tribes  of  the 
coast.  No  survivor  of  that  expedition  was 
found  by  De  Soto ;  but  these  relics  show  that 
he  had  reached  a  point  within  a  few  days' 
182 


THE    PRINCESS    AND    HER    PEARLS 

journey  of  the  Atlantic  coast,  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Savannah  River. 

It  appeared  to  some  of  De  Soto's  captains 
that  the  province  of  Cofachiqui  would  be 
a  good  one  for  a  settlement.  While  the 
soil  was  not  very  fertile,  yet  it  was  good 
enough  for  their  purpose,  and  while  the 
colony  was  being  established  on  a  sure  foun- 
dation, it  might  be  supported  by  the  pearl 
fisheries,  and  by  trade  opened  direct  with 
Spain. 

"  But  Soto,  as  it  was  his  object  to  find  an- 
other treasure  like  that  of  Atabalipa,  lord  of 
Peru,  would  not  be  content  with  good  lands, 
or  pearls,  even  though  many  of  them  were 
worth  their  weight  in  gold;  so  he  answered 
them  who  urged  him  to  make  a  settlement, 
that  in  all  the  country  together  there  was  not 
support  for  his  troops  a  single  month;  that 
it  was  necessary  to  return  to  Acusi  (Pen- 
sacola),  where  Maldonado  was  to  wait;  and 
should  a  richer  country  not  be  found,  they 
who  would  could  always  return;  and  in 
their  absence  the  Indians  would  plant 
their  fields  and  be  better  provided  with 
maize." 

Still,  the  governor  was  not  insensible  to  the 
charms  of  the  province,  nor  to  the  blandish- 
183 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

ments  of  its  beautiful  cacica,  whose  admira- 
tion for  the  handsome  cavalier  amounted  at 
first  almost  to  worship.  She  not  only  enter- 
tained him  hospitably,  but  she  endeavored 
to  induce  her  mother,  the  queen-regent,  to 
visit  her  and  see  for  herself  what  wonderful 
creatures  were  these  beings  who  had  honored 
her  with  their  attentions.  But  the  mother 
of  the  princess  was  a  widow,  and  wary.  The 
more  she  was  urged  to  emerge  from  her 
retreat  and  show  herself,  the  farther  she 
retired  into  the  forest  depths.  Learning  that 
she  was  a  woman  of  superior  attainments,  and 
that  she  possessed  vast  quantities  of  pearls, 
De  Soto  was  very  earnest  in  his  efforts  to 
draw  her  from  the  forest.  He  despatched  the 
trusty  Afiasco  with  a  troop,  and  the  princess 
sent  with  him  a  young  man,  her  cousin,  as 
guide.  He  resembled  the  beautiful  princess, 
it  is  said,  bore  himself  with  dignity,  and  was 
garbed  as  became  a  member  of  the  royal 
family. 

It  was  noticed  that  the  young  prince 
departed  on  his  mission  with  reluctance, 
though  he  received  the  request  of  the 
cacica  as  a  command  which  he  must  obey. 
He  led  the  Spaniards  along  the  bank  of  a 
river,  and  at  noon  they  rested  in  a  grove 
184 


THE    PRINCESS    AND    HER    PEARLS 

of  walnut  -  trees,  where  lunch  was  spread. 
After  the  meal  was  over,  the  guide  took  the 
quiver  from  his  shoulder,  and  drew  out  the 
arrows  in  it,  one  by  one.  He  looked  them 
all  over  thoughtfully,  and  the  Spaniards 
gathered  about  to  admire  them,  for  they  were 
superior  to  any  they  had  ever  seen.  Some 
were  barbed  with  flint,  and  some  with  crys- 
tal, while  the  shafts  of  all  were  highly  pol- 
ished and  tipped  with  feathers.  At  length  he 
drew  forth  an  arrow  dagger-pointed,  though 
the  barb  was  of  flint.  This,  without  a  word, 
he  plunged  into  his  throat,  and  fell  prostrate, 
bleeding  from  a  mortal  wound. 

The  Spaniards  were  at  first  unable  to  con- 
jecture the  cause  of  this  action  on  the  part 
of  the  youth ;  but  it  developed  that,  while  he 
was  a  favorite  of  the  princess,  he  was  also 
deeply  attached  to  the  queen-mother,  whom 
the  Spaniards  intended  to  kidnap.  As  they 
could  succeed  only  through  his  aid,  he  re- 
solved to  extricate  himself  from  the  per- 
plexing situation  in  which  he  was  placed  by 
committing  suicide.  Thus  the  attempt  to 
secure  the  queen -regent  was  frustrated,  for 
no  one  else  could  guide  the  Spaniards  to  her 
hiding-place.  De  Soto,  it  is  said,  mourned 
the  death  of  the  high-spirited  youth ;  but  not 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

long  after  he  confirmed  the  suspicions  that 
chivalrous  savage  had  formed  of  his  inten- 
tions by  carrying  away  as  a  captive  the 
generous  princess  to  whom  he  was  so  deep- 
ly in  debt  for  inestimable  favors. 


XIV 

DE    SOTO'S    BEAUTIFUL   CAPTIVE 
1540 

THE  generosity  of  the  cacica  was  ex- 
cessive, for  the  Spaniards  lacked  noth- 
ing that  her  kingdom  could  supply.  When 
she  learned  from  the  interpreters  that  De 
Soto  cared  for  gold  above  all  other  things, 
she  told  them  that  in  a  remote  district  of  her 
territory  there  was  a  large  deposit  of  yellow 
and  shining  metal,  and  she  thought  it  must 
be  that  of  which  they  were  in  search.  She 
hoped  so,  at  least,  and  if  it  proved  to  be, 
they  had  only  to  dig  up  and  take  away  all 
they  desired.  So  she  sent  some  Indians  for 
the  "precious  metal,"  who  returned  a  few 
days  later  with  as  much  as  they  could  carry 
on  their  backs.  The  Spaniards,  says  their 
historian,  did  not  have  any  acid,  or  touch- 
stone, for  testing  the  metal;  but  it  did  not 
need  an  expert  to  perceive  that  this  was  not 
gold  the  Indians  had  brought  them,  but  an 
187 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

alloy  of  copper;  and  what  they  supposed, 
from  the  descriptions,  might  be  silver,  proved 
to  be  nothing  but  mica  and  crystals  of 
quartz. 

The  Spaniards  were  bitterly  disappointed, 
but  the  princess  was  grieved,  and  it  was 
to  console  them  that  she  gave  permission 
for  the  desecration  of  the  royal  sepulchres. 
When  De  Soto  and  a  retinue  of  his  captains 
visited  the  tombs  of  Talimico,  they  were 
surprised  to  find  them  within  an  edifice  a 
hundred  paces  in  length  and  forty  in  breadth. 
The  roof  was  of  reeds,  but  lofty,  and  the 
entrances  were  guarded  by  statues  of  wood 
excellently  carved,  and  about  twelve  feet  in 
height.  They  were  probably  effigies  of  the 
warriors  who  reposed  here,  their  moulder- 
ing remains  contained  in  wooden  chests,  or 
caskets,  like  those  which  Juan  Ortiz  was  set 
to  guard,  in  the  distant  province  governed 
by  Ucita. 

Besides  the  pearls,  of  which  mention  has 
been  made  already,  there  were  robes  of  dress- 
ed skins,  valuable  furs,  and  rich  mantles 
made  of  feathers  and  flax.  All  these  articles 
had  been  placed  here  by  the  Indians  in  order 
that  their  chiefs  and  caciques,  when  they 
passed  to  the  unknown  region  above,  might 
1 88 


DE    SOTO'S    BEAUTIFUL    CAPTIVE 

carry  with  them  the  wealth  they  possessed 
on  earth.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that,  what- 
ever mistakes  their  superstitions  may  have 
led  them  into,  the  Cofachiquis  were  violating 
their  most  cherished  traditions  when  they 
allowed  the  Spaniards  to  ravish  the  graves 
of  their  great  warriors.  This  was  their  Val- 
halla, their  Pantheon,  and  around  it  were 
clustered  memories  that  must  have  been 
tender  and  sacred. 

But  even  to  this  extent  the  generous  nat- 
ure of  the  cacica  carried  her,  in  the  desire  to 
serve  her  guests  and  promote  their  welfare. 
More  than  fourteen  bushels  of  pearls  were 
found  in  the  sepulchres,  according  to  the 
historians,  and  though  most  of  them  had  lost 
their  lustre  by  having  been  long  buried,  this 
fact  did  not  detract  from  the  value  of  the 
gift.  The  Spaniards  were  given  permission 
to  carry  away  everything  they  found,  and, 
base  and  perfidious  to  the  last  degree,  they 
so  perverted  the  noble  intention  of  the  offer 
as  to  carry  off  the  cacica  herself! 

By  the  time  the  spoils  had  been  divided, 
and  the  lustrous  pearls  sifted  out  from  those 
which  had  been  injured  by  burial  in  the 
earth,  or  by  fire  used  in  opening  the  shells 
that  contained  them,  the  princess  had  dis- 
189 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

covered  the  true  nature  of  her  visitors,  and 
meditated  flight.  It  was  quite  natural  that 
she  should  have  grown  cold  and  indifferent; 
but  the  Spaniards  attributed  the  change  to 
distrust,  or  treachery,  and  when  De  Soto 
was  told  that  she  refused  to  furnish  guides 
and  carriers  for  the  army  beyond  the 
frontiers  of  her  province,  he  took  prompt 
measures  to  secure  her  person.  It  was  his 
custom,  as  we  have  seen,  to  insure  the 
services  and  fidelity  of  whatever  people  he 
was  travelling  among  by  seizing  and  hold- 
ing in  durance  their  chief  or  leader;  but  in 
this  instance  the  action  was  hardly  neces- 
sary as  a  precaution,  and  was  assuredly  a 
gross  insult  to  the  friendly  Cofachiquis. 

"On  May  3,  1540,"  wrote  the  Fidalgo  of 
Elvas,  "  the  governor  set  out  from  Cuti- 
fachiqui  [Cofachiqui],  and,  it  being  discov- 
ered that  the  wish  of  the  cacica  was  to  leave 
the  Christians,  if  she  could,  giving  them  nei- 
ther guides  nor  carriers,  because  of  the  out- 
rages committed  upon  the  inhabitants  (there 
never  failing  to  be  men  of  low  degree  among 
the  many  who  will  put  the  lives  of  themselves 
and  others  in  jeopardy  for  some  mean  inter- 
est), the  governor  ordered  that  she  should  be 
put  under  guard,  and  took  her  with  him. 
190 


DE    SOTO'S    BEAUTIFUL    CAPTIVE 

"This  treatment  was  not  a  proper  return 
for  the  hospitable  welcome  he  had  received; 
but  thus  she  was  carried  away,  on  foot,  with 
her  female  slaves.  This  brought  us  service 
in  all  the  places  that  we  passed,  she  ordering 
the  Indians  to  come  and  take  the  loads  from 
town  to  town.  We  travelled  through  her 
territories  a  hundred  leagues,  in  which,  ac- 
cording to  what  we  saw,  she  was  greatly 
obeyed,  whatsoever  she  ordered  being  per- 
formed with  diligence  and  efficiency." 

This  offence  of  De  Soto  has  been  condoned 
by  some,  with  the  remark  that  he  treated  the 
princess  with  deference  and  bound  her  with 
"silken  chains,"  figuratively  speaking;  but 
she  was  a  prisoner,  nevertheless,  having  been 
made  one  against  her  will,  and  in  violation 
of  the  most  sacred  rites  of  hospitality.  She 
was  constantly  guarded,  and  her  privacy 
invaded,  though  she  was  provided  with  a 
beautiful  palanquin  and  allowed  the  attend- 
ance of  her  serving  -  maids.  But  neither 
princess  nor  maidens  were  the  same  as  be- 
fore the  advent  of  the  Spaniards;  no  long- 
er the  shy  and  fawnlike  creatures  who  had 
greeted  the  cavaliers  with  downcast  eyes 
and  murmured  welcomes.  They  spoke  but 
seldom,  they  no  longer  sang,  nor  wove  gar- 
191 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

lands  for  their  favorites,  as  formerly,  for 
their  hearts  were  heavy.  Silent  and  sad, 
the  beautiful  cacica  was  borne  along  in  her 
palanquin,  on  the  shoulders  of  her  dejected 
warriors,  while  the  maidens  walked  sullenly 
by  her  side.  In  this  manner  nearly  three 
hundred  miles  were  travelled,  the  governor 
going  he  knew  not  whither,  save  that  he  still 
sought  for  the  yellow  gold  that  had  been  the 
ruin  of  so  many  of  his  countrymen. 

The  general  direction  of  the  march,  after 
leaving  the  cacica's  capital,  was  north,  and 
then  northwest,  across  the  present  state  of 
Georgia.  The  province  of  Achalaque,  which 
the  Spaniards  reached  after  seven  days'  trav- 
el, is  supposed  to  have  been  the  so-called 
barren  country  of  the  Cherokees,  and  was 
"the  poorest  off  for  maize  of  any  that  was 
seen  in  Florida.  The  inhabitants  subsisted  on 
roots  that  they  dug  in  the  wilds,  and  on  the 
animals  they  destroyed  with  their  arrows." 
Their  poverty  was  such  that,  when  the  ca- 
cique presented  De  Soto  with  two  tanned 
deer -skins,  he  seemed  to  think  it  a  very  great 
gift.  But  the  wild  creatures  of  the  woods  were 
very  abundant,  such  as  turkeys  and  prairie- 
hens,  of  which  latter  seven  hundred  were  pre- 
sented to  the  Spaniards  in  a  single  village. 
192 


DE    SOTO'S    BEAUTIFUL    CAPTIVE 

As  the  western  boundaries  of  her  province 
were  approached,  the  cacica  grew  nervous 
and  uneasy,  for  she  doubted  the  word  of  De 
So  to,  that  he  would  release  her  on  the  con- 
fines of  her  dominion,  and  she  was  seen  to 
talk  more  than  usual  with  her  maidens. 
Taking  advantage  of  a  curve  in  the  trail  one 
day,  as  they  were  passing  through  a  dense 
forest,  the  captive  princess  suddenly  sprang 
from  the  palanquin,  and,  with  her  faithful 
females,  hid  in  a  thicket  at  the  head  of  a 
ravine.  All  search  for  them  was  fruitless, 
for  when  hunted  up  they  scattered  like  a 
covey  of  quail,  and  were  quite  as  successful 
in  concealing  themselves.  They  were  found 
and  joined  by  a  band  of  the  cacica's  warriors, 
who  had  skulked  through  the  forest  for  this 
very  purpose,  and,  though  more  than  three 
hundred  miles  from  their  homes,  finally 
reached  them  in  safety.  The  cacica's  de- 
parture was  greatly  lamented  by  De  Soto; 
not  from  any  considerations  of  a  sentimental 
nature,  but  because  she  had  taken  with  her, 
in  her  flight,  besides  two  negro  slaves  and  a 
Barbary  Moor,  a  petaca,  or  small  chest  of 
pearls,  which,  never  having  been  pierced  or 
exposed  to  fire,  were  of  extraordinary  value 
and  beauty. 

193 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

Pearls,  however,  were  a  "drug  in  the 
market"  at  that  time  and  in  the  circum- 
stances which  beset  the  Spaniards,  having 
no  value  unless  they  could  be  exchanged 
for  provisions.  It  is  told  of  a  foot-soldier 
named  Juan  Terron,  that,  becoming  tired 
of  carrying  a  bag  of  beautiful  pearls  which 
he  had  taken  from  one  of  the  sepulchres, 
he  offered  bag  and  contents,  weighing  more 
than  six  pounds,  to  a  comrade  on  horse- 
back. 

"Nay,  nay,  Juan  Terron,"  said  the  trooper. 
"Though  I  can  carry  them,  still  you  had 
better  keep  them  yourself.  When  next  the 
governor  sends  to  Havana,  you  can  pur- 
chase, with  the  half  of  them,  the  finest  horse 
in  the  island,  and  need  no  longer  go  afoot. 
Six  pounds  of  pearls — verily,  a  king's  ran- 
som!" 

"  Whether  they  be  so  or  no,  here  they  go," 
exclaimed  Terron,  untying  the  mouth  of  the 
bag  and  whirling  it  about  his  head,  with  the 
result  that  all  the  pearls  were  scattered  on 
the  ground.  Most  of  them  were  lost,  as  only 
thirty  were  recovered  by  the  soldiers,  who 
hastily  scrambled  for  them ;  and  when  it  was 
seen  how  fine  they  were,  their  former  owner 
was  bantered  unmercifully.  He  finally  be- 
194 


DE    SOTO'S    BEAUTIFUL    CAPTIVE 

came  sensible  of  his  folly,  especially  after 
the  governor  had  rebuked  him  severely  for 
his  insensate  act ;  but  it  gave  rise  to  a  say- 
ing in  the  army,  "  There  are  no  pearls  for 
Juan  Terron,"  which  passed  into  a  proverb. 

The  two  black  runaways  were  recovered, 
but  the  lovely  cacica  and  her  maids  were 
never  beheld  by  the  Spaniards  again.  As 
time  passed,  and  the  toilful  march  still 
continued,  apparently  without  end  or  aim, 
many  a  sigh  was  sent  after  them  by  the  weary 
soldiers,  who  thought  with  regret  of  the 
prospects  cast  away  by  the  governor  when 
he  turned  his  back  upon  the  land  of  pearls. 
The  thoughts  of  De  Soto  himself  were  not 
divulged ;  but  doubtless  he  felt  he  had  made 
a  mistake,  though  his  pride  would  not  permit 
him  to  acknowledge  it. 

"He  was  an  inflexible  man,  and  dry  of 
word,"  wrote  one  who  was  with  him  at  the 
time,  "who,  although  he  liked  to  know  what 
the  others  all  thought  and  had  to  say,  after 
he  once  said  a  thing  he  did  not  like  to  be  op- 
posed; and  as  he  ever  acted  as  he  thought 
best,  all  bent  to  his  will.  For,  though  it 
seemed  an  error  to  leave  that  country,  when 
another  might  have  been  found  about  it  on 
which  all  the  people  could  have  been  sus- 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

tained  until  the  crops  had  been  made  and 
the  grain  gathered,  there  was  none  who 
would  say  a  thing  to  him  after  it  became 
known  that  he  had  made  up  his  mind." 

Thus  he  marched  on,  grim  and  inflexible, 
regretting,  perhaps,  that  he  had  treated  the 
cacica  so  harshly,  though  outwardly  he  gave 
no  sign,  excusing  himself  on  the  grounds  of 
expediency.  The  next  province  belonged 
to  the  cacique  of  Ichiaha,  who  sent  word 
that  he  had  collected  a  great  quantity  of 
maize  and  mulberries  for  the  Spaniards,  and 
would  meet  them  with  a  retinue  of  warriors. 
His  country  was  fertile  and  well  watered, 
with  beautiful  valleys  and  extensive  savan- 
nas. His  maize-fields  were  seemingly  bound- 
less in  extent,  and  when  his  chief  village  was 
reached  there  were  twenty  barbacoas  full  of 
the  golden  grain,  which  were  placed  at  De 
Soto's  disposal. 

At  the  head  of  five  hundred  plumed  and 
stately  warriors,  the  cacique  met  the  Span- 
iards two  miles  from  his  village,  which  was 
set  in  a  valley  among  the  hills.  It  contained 
about  three  hundred  houses,  the  largest  of 
which,  the  cacique's  palace,  was  perched 
upon  an  artificial  mound  surrounded  by  a 
spacious  terrace.  Towards  this  mound,  after 
196 


DE    SOTO'S    BEAUTIFUL    CAPTIVE 

fraternally  greeting  De  Soto  and  his  officers, 
the  chieftain  ordered  his  warriors  to  lead  the 
way.  As  they  approached  it  they  parted 
column,  and  the  Spaniards  marched  between 
their  ranks,  with  banners  flying  and  bugles 
blowing,  to  the  quarters  assigned  them. 

They  remained  here  many  days,  during 
the  month  of  June,  in  fact,  literally  living 
on  the  " fat  of  the  land."  "  We  found  here," 
says  one  of  the  company,  "an  abundance 
of  lard,  in  calabashes,  drawn  like  olive-oil, 
which  the  inhabitants  said  was  the  fat  of 
bears.  There  was  likewise  found  much  oil 
of  walnuts,  which,  like  the  lard,  was  clear 
and  of  good  taste;  and  also  a  honey -comb, 
which  the  Christians  had  never  seen  before 
in  this  country,  nor  saw  they  afterwards, 
nor  honey,  nor  bees." 

The  Indian  huts  proving  too  confined,  a 
camp  was  pitched  in  a  grove  of  mulberry- 
trees  between  the  hills,  in  front  of  which 
was  a  verdant  meadow,  wheio  the  lean  and 
famishing  steeds  were  turned  loose  to  feast 
and  recuperate.  While  the  men  and  horses 
were  refreshing  themselves,  De  Soto  was 
diligently  inquiring  for  the  gold  -  mines, 
which  were  reputed  to  be  in  the  hills  or 
mountains  of  this  province.  They  lay,  the 
14  197 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

cacique  informed  him,  about  thirty  miles  to 
the  northward ;  but  the  intervening  country 
was  a  mere  wilderness,  and  the  mountains 
said  to  contain  the  mines  were  so  rugged 
that  no  horse  could  travel  in  that  region. 

By  his  advice,  therefore,  two  sturdy  sol- 
diers were  sent  to  explore,  on  foot  and  ac- 
companied by  guides.  They  were  absent 
ten  days,  but  returned  in  safety,  though 
without  any  gold,  of  which,  however,  they 
thought  they  had  discovered  traces  here 
and  there.  What  they  brought  back  with 
them  was  not  gold,  but  ore  of  copper;  thus 
again  was  the  governor  disappointed.  The 
precious  metal  has  been  found  in  that 
province  in  times  more  recent;  but  not  in 
such  quantities  as  De  Soto  had  hoped  to 
discover  it.  The  natives  then  had  a  few 
articles,  in  the  shape  of  hatchets  and  "  chop- 
ping-knives,"  of  gold  alloyed  with  copper, 
but  no  ornaments  or  jewels. 

Nearly  all  the  streams  of  this  province, 
and  they  were  quite  numerous,  abounded  in 
the  fresh-water  mussels  which  yielded  the 
precious  pearls.  The  cacique  of  Ichiaha, 
one  day,  threw  over  De  Soto's  broad  shoul- 
ders a  string  of  pearls  a  fathom  in  length. 
Some  of  them  were  as  large  as  filbert-nuts, 
198 


DE    SOTO'S    BEAUTIFUL    CAPTIVE 

and  of  perfect  shape,  but  had  been  injured 
by  boring,  with  the  aid  of  fire,  in  order  that 
they  might  be  strung  as  necklaces.  If  the 
governor  desired  more  and  better  pearls, 
said  the  cacique,  he  might  seek  them  in  the 
sepulchres  of  his  ancestors,  where  were  count- 
less thousands. 

The  governor  replied,  with  an  affectation 
of  horror  at  the  thought,  that  he  would 
never  consent  to  such  an  act  of  desecration 
as  ravishing  the  royal  tombs,  but  that  he 
should  like  to  see  how  the  pearls  were  ob- 
tained. Struck  by  the  consideration  mani- 
fested by  his  guest,  the  obliging  cacique  at 
once  despatched  forty  large  canoes  to  fish 
for  pearl-oysters  during  the  night.  In  the 
morning  he  and  De  Soto  repaired  to  the 
river-side,  accompanied  by  their  officers,  and 
there  the  Spaniards  witnessed  the  operation 
of  opening  the  oysters,  or  mussels.  Fires 
had  been  made  of  hard  wood,  and  upon  their 
glowing  coals  were  placed  the  shell  -  fish 
brought  ashore  in  the  canoes.  They  were 
quickly  opened  by  the  heat,  and  from  their 
gaping  mouths  the  pearls  were  taken  out, 
some  of  them  as  large  as  peas,  and  present- 
ed to  De  Soto. 

After  the  cacique  had  gratified  his  guest 
199 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

with  this  exhibition,  he  invited  him  to  his 
house,  where  a  repast  was  set  forth  at  which 
the  mussels  were  served  in  various  dishes. 
While  the  meal  was  in  progress,  one  of  the 
soldiers  at  the  lower  end  of  the  table  uttered 
an  exclamation,  and,  taking  something  from 
his  mouth,  after  showing  it  to  his  compan- 
ions, rose  and  went  towards  De  Soto.  "  See, 
my  lord,"  he  said.  "Here  is  a  pearl  that 
neither  fire  nor  smoke  has  injured,  for  I 
just  now  found  it  within  an  oyster  I  was 
eating." 

"Truly,  my  man,"  answered  the  governor, 
"it  is  large,  and  white,  and  beautiful.  In 
Spain,  I  doubt  not,  it  would  bring  four  hun- 
dred ducats.  Save  it  till  we  have  occasion 
to  send  to  the  Havana,  and  there  I  will 
procure  thee  its  value." 

"  Nay,  my  lord.  Allow  me,  rather,  to  pre- 
sent it  to  our  lady  patroness,  Dona  Isabel, 
whom  we  all  hold  in  great  esteem." 

"Not  so,"  rejoined  De  Soto.  "While  I 
appreciate  thy  generosity,  my  son,  I  cannot 
allow  thee  to  rob  thyself.  Keep  it,  then, 
and  I  myself  will  remit  to  the  king  his  fifth 
part  in  thy  stead." 

Thus  the  soldier's  liberal  disposition 
brought  him  the  regard  of  his  commander, 


DE    SOTO'S    BEAUTIFUL    CAPTIVE 

who,  high  -  minded  and  generous  himself, 
knew  how  to  appreciate  worth  in  others. 

Another  incident,  though  a  sad  one,  that 
occurred  at  this  time,  emphasizes  the  fact 
that  all  the  men  of  De  Soto's  command  were 
youthful,  or  in  the  prime  of  life,  for  it  relates 
to  one  Juan  Mateos,  who  was  the  only  man 
among  them  whose  hair  was  gray.  While 
De  Soto  and  the  cacique  were  inspecting 
the  pearl-fisheries,  gray-haired  Juan  Mateos 
slipped  into  the  thicket  and  cut  a  cane, 
with  which,  by  the  aid  of  a  line  twisted  from 
some  flax,  and  an  improvised  hook,  he  went 
fishing.  As  he  was  sitting  quietly  on  the 
bank,  concealed  in  the  long  grasses,  one  of 
the  cavaliers  named  Luis  Bravo  darted  his 
lance  at  a  small  animal  he  saw  a  short  dis- 
tance away.  As  ill  -  luck  would  have  it, 
the  weapon  missed  the  animal,  but  struck 
poor  Juan  Mateos  in  the  temple,  killing  him 
instantly.  Thus  the  Spaniards  lost  "  Father 
Juan" — as  he  was  called  on  account  of  his 
gray  hairs — the  oldest  man  in  the  army,  but 
probably  not  more  than  fifty  years  of  age  at 
the  time  of  his  death. 

Having  nearly  exhausted  the  resources  of 
this  generous  host,  and,  very  wisely,  desiring 
to  depart  before  he  had  wholly  done  so, 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

De  Soto  announced  his  intention  to  proceed 
on  his  journey.  The  cacique  of  Ichiaha 
would  have  detained  him,  having  conceived 
a  great  liking  for  the  governor;  but  it  was 
then  midsummer  (the  first  week  in  July, 
1540),  and  a  great  distance  yet  remained  to 
be  traversed  before  cold  weather  set  in. 
Whence  he  was  going,  and  wherefore,  De 
Soto  could  not  inform  his  friend ;  but  doubt- 
less his  intention  was  to  describe  a  great 
circuit  and  make  his  winter  quarters  at 
Pensacola,  where  the  brigantines  were  in- 
structed to  meet  him  in  the  month  of 
October.  Hence  he  followed  the  banks  of 
the  Coosa  River,  and  constantly  bore  south- 
wardly, on  a  westerly  course,  going  farther 
and  farther  from  the  Atlantic  and  towards 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

The  next  province  to  Ichiaha  was  that  of 
Acoste,  the  cacique  of  which  awaited  the 
coming  of  De  Soto  in  the  great  square  of  his 
chief  town,  with  more  than  fifteen  hundred 
warriors.  He  was  fierce  and  warlike,  his 
braves  were  well  armed  and  insolent  of 
manner ;  but  while  the  two  armies  were  con- 
fronting each  other,  some  vagabond  soldiers 
or  camp-followers  began  pillaging  the  huts, 
without  giving  a  thought  to  the  possible 

202 


DE    SOTO'S    BEAUTIFUL    CAPTIVE 

consequences.  The  women  who  lived  in  the 
huts  raised  an  outcry,  at  which  many  of  the 
braves  seized  their  war-clubs  and  set  upon 
the  vagabonds  most  lustily.  De  Soto,  at  the 
time,  was  well  in  advance  of  the  main  body, 
with  a  small  retinue  only.  Perceiving  his 
peril,  should  the  cacique's  warriors  become 
exasperated  and  attack  him,  he  sought  to 
divert  their  attention  by  himself  falling  upon 
the  soldiers  who  had  caused  the  disturbance 
and  beating  them  soundly. 


XV 

THE    GREAT   CHIEF,    TUSCALOOSA 
1540 

*T*HE  cacique  of  Acoste  and  his  warriors 
1  greatly  enjoyed  the  spectacle  of  the 
governor  beating  his  own  men,  being  so 
diverted  thereby  that  they  neglected  to 
secure  him  a  prisoner  while  he  was  in  their 
power.  When  they  awoke  to  the  fact,  it  was 
too  late,  for,  meanwhile,  De  Soto  had  sent 
a  message  to  the  main  army,  which  came 
hurrying  forward  to  his  rescue.  Then  their 
positions  were  reversed,  for  the  cacique 
found  himself  a  prisoner,  together  with  his 
chiefs.  He  was  greatly  taken  aback,  and 
at  first  was  disposed  to  be  ugly ;  but  when  the 
governor  explained  to  him  that  it  was  his 
custom  to  honor  every  cacique  he  met,  by 
surrounding  him  with  an  armed  guard,  he 
became  quite  tractable.  A  message  arrived 
from  Ichiaha  at  this  juncture,  informing  him 
of  what  had  occurred  in  that  province,  and 
204 


THE    GREAT    CHIEF,  TUSCALOOSA 

he  immediately  gave  orders  for  supplies  of 
maize  to  be  furnished  the  Spaniards,  at  the 
same  time  assuring  De  Soto  that  he  and  his 
people  were  entirely  at  his  service.  He  was 
then  liberated,  and  he  not  only  calmed  the 
ruffled  feelings  of  his  warriors,  but  assisted 
the  Spaniards  in  crossing  the  river,  by  fur- 
nishing them  with  rafts  and  canoes. 

The  Spaniards  were  then  in  the  province 
of  Cosa,  or  Coosa,  a  name  which  is  now 
applied  to  a  county  of  Alabama,  through 
which,  doubtless,  De  Soto  passed  on  his  way 
to  Pensacola.  It  was  a  vast  and  fertile  prov- 
ince, also  very  populous,  and  nearly  every 
night,  during  several  weeks,  the  Spaniards 
encamped  at  or  near  an  Indian  village,  the 
inhabitants  of  which  received  them  hospita- 
bly, supplied  them  with  provisions,  and  fur- 
nished carriers  from  one  place  to  another,  so 
that  there  was  no  need  of  demanding  either, 
and  no  conflicts  occurred  by  the  way,  of  any 
kind  whatever. 

Such  a  rich  and  fruitful  country  the 
Spaniards  had  not  seen  in  many  a  day.  The 
fields  of  Indian-corn  were  of  unknown  extent, 
their  green  billows  sweeping  away  to  the 
horizon  on  every  side,  and  there  were  beans 
and  pumpkins,  mulberries,  wild  plums,  and 
205 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

grapes,  in  great  variety.  In  the  centre  of 
the  province  was  the  village  of  Coosa,  which 
was  reached  by  the  army  about  the  last  of 
July.  The  cacique  had  sent  numerous  and 
friendly  messages  to  De  Soto,  and  "  came  out 
to  receive  him  at  the  distance  of  two  bow- 
shots from  the  town,"  borne  in  a  litter  on  the 
shoulders  of  four  chiefs,  and  surrounded  by 
many  attendants  playing  upon  flutes,  sing- 
ing, and  dancing.  Over  his  shoulders  he 
wore  a  rich  robe  of  marten-skins,  and  on  his 
head  a  diadem  with  plumes.  He  was  a 
young  man,  with  a  winning  and  expressive 
countenance,  and  behind  him  marched  at 
least  a  thousand  warriors,  tall  and  stately 
men,  with  feathers  adorning  their  head- 
dresses. When  arrived  opposite  the  gov- 
ernor he  made  a  little  speech  of  welcome, 
and  together  they  set  out  for  the  village, 
the  Indian  chieftain  in  his  palanquin  and 
De  Soto  riding  alongside  on  his  war-horse. 

Coosa  was  advantageously  located  for  a 
colony,  though  a  long  distance  from  the  sea- 
coast.  De  Soto  was  urged  by  his  new  friend 
to  remain  there,  but  he  was  anxious  to 
meet  Maldonado  at  the  bay  of  Pensacola, 
and,  though  deeply  sensible  of  the  cacique's 
kindness,  felt  constrained  to  refuse  his  offer 
206 


THE    GREAT    CHIEF,  TUSCALOOSA 

of  territory.  He  remained  with  him  twenty 
days,  and  when  he  departed  took  the  cacique 
with  him,  an  "honorable  hostage,"  but 
actually  a  prisoner.  As  the  narrators  are 
divided  on  this  point,  we  would  allow  De 
Soto,  again,  the  benefit  of  the  doubt;  but 
two  of  them  are  agreed  that  the  cacique  was 
constrained  to  go  against  his  will.  One,  his 
own  secretary,  says:  "The  Indians  went  off 
and  left  their  chief  in  the  power  of  the 
Christians,  with  some  principal  men,  and  the 
Spaniards  went  out  to  round  them  up,  and 
they  took  many,  and  they  put  them  in  iron 
collars  and  chains.  And  verily,  according  to 
the  testimony  of  eye  -  witnesses,  it  was  a 
grievous  thing  to  see.  But  God  failed  not  to 
remember  every  evil  deed;  nor  were  they 
left  unpunished,  as  this  history  will  tell." 
"  When  they  reached  the  frontiers  of  his 
territory,"  says  the  Fidalgo  of  Elvas,  "the 
chief  was  released;  but  he  went  in  anger 
and  in  tears,  because  the  governor  would  not 
give  up  a  sister  of  his  that  they  took,  and 
because  they  had  taken  him  so  far  from  his 
country." 

Another  account,  and  that  which  we  would 
rather  believe,  is  to  the  effect  that  the  cacique 
of  Coosa  went  with  De  Soto  to  punish  a  re- 
207 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

fractory  sub  -  chief,  who  was  disposed  to 
transfer  his  allegiance  to  a  more  powerful 
ruler  named  Tuscaloosa.  This  redoubtable 
chieftain,  whose  name,  in  Choctaw,  is  said  to 
mean  the  great  Black  Warrior,  governed  the 
territory  now  chiefly  comprised  in  the  states 
of  Alabama  and  Mississippi.  He  was  prob- 
ably a  Choctaw,  and  the  most  haughty  and 
warlike  of  his  tribe.  He  had  heard,  through 
his  scouts  and  runners,  of  the  arrivals  on  his 
frontier,  and  sent  his  son  to  meet  them. 
Though  only  eighteen  years  of  age,  this  youth 
was  taller  than  any  Spaniard  in  the  army, 
agile  and  strong.  He  was  kindly  received 
by  De  Soto,  who  entertained  him  at  a  ban- 
quet and  gave  him  a  quantity  of  beads,  as 
a  present  for  his  father.  When  he  returned 
to  Tuscaloosa,  he  was  accompanied  by  Luis 
de  Moscoso,  master  of  the  camp,  and  fif- 
teen cavalry,  who  were  to  observe  what  they 
could  and  report  to  De  Soto,  who  followed 
leisurely  after  and  encamped  in  a  grove  two 
leagues  from  the  cacique's  town. 

Apprised  by  a  courier  from  De  Soto  that 
the  Spaniards  were  approaching,  Chief  Tus- 
caloosa took  his  stand  on  the  crest  of  a  hill 
which  commanded  a  wide  and  beautiful 
prospect,  and,  seated  on  a  concave  block  of 
208 


THE    GREAT    CHIEF,  TUSCALOOSA 

wood,  which  was  his  chair  of  state,  or  throne, 
awaited  the  coming  of  the  strangers.  Around 
him  were  his  chief  commanders,  to  the  num- 
ber of  a  hundred,  while  on  the  plain  below 
lay  his  army,  containing  many  thousand 
men.  By  his  side  stood  a  tyoung  warrior, 
who  held  aloft  a  lance,  upon  which  was  sup- 
ported a  banner  of  dressed  deer-skin,  dyed  in 
bright  colors  and  extended  by  crossed  sticks 
to  the  shape  and  size  of  a  Spanish  buckler. 

Tuscaloosa  was  a  man  of  commanding  ap- 
pearance, and,  though  more  than  seven  feet 
in  height,  was  so  symmetrically  proportioned 
that  he  might  have  been  chosen  as  a  model 
of  manly  beauty.  He  was  taller  than  any 
of  his  people  by  more  than  a  foot;  but, 
though  his  shoulders  were  broad  and  mas- 
sive, his  waist  was  slender,  while  his  hands 
and  feet  were  small  and  well  moulded.  His 
eyes  and  hair  were  black  as  coal;  his  face 
was  expressive  and  intelligent;  but  his 
mouth  was  large,  with  teeth  ivory-white 
and  fanglike,  giving  him  the  appearance  of 
a  cannibal. 

When  the  cavaliers  attending  De  Soto 
pranced  before  him,  forcing  their  horses  to 
curvet  and  caracole,  he  paid  no  more  atten- 
tion to  them  than  the  Inca  of  Peru  had  be- 
209 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

stowed  upon  their  commander  himself  in 
the  environs  of  Cassamarca.  He  remained 
unmoved,  hardly  deigning  to  give  them  a 
glance;  but  when  De  Soto  approached  he 
extended  his  hand  in  welcome.  He  thank- 
ed him  for  the  gifts  he  had  sent,  declar- 
ing that  he  esteemed  them  the  more  highly 
because  they  were  from  one  whom  he  "re- 
garded as  a  brother."  The  two  conversed 
awhile,  then,  hand-in-hand,  wended  their 
way  to  the  village,  where  quarters  were  as- 
signed the  troops,  and  a  house  given  to  the 
governor  next  to  that  occupied  by  the  chief- 
tain. There  was  no  lack  of  hospitality  in 
Tuscaloosa's  town,  but  the  coldness  and 
hauteur  of  the  cacique  kept  De  Soto  con- 
stantly on  guard.  He  cautioned  his  captains 
to  post  their  sentinels  discreetly  and  not  for 
an  instant  relax  their  vigilance,  as  he  felt 
certain  the  cacique  meditated  treachery. 
He  had  observed  him  in  close  and  frequent 
converse  with  his  sub-chiefs,  and  had  noticed 
that  warriors  were  gathering  from  every 
quarter. 

After  remaining  two  days  in  the  village, 
De  Soto  gave  the  order  to  march,  and  with 
him  went  Tuscaloosa,  either  voluntarily  or 
as  a  hostage.  The  town  of  Talise,  or  that 


THE    GREAT   CHIEF,   TUSCALOOSA 

first  entered  by  the  Spaniards,  was  on  the 
frontier;  forty  or  fifty  miles  farther  lay  the 
capital,  Tuscaloosa;  and  still  farther,  by 
several  days'  march,  was  Mauvila,  his  great 
stronghold.  Whether  the  cacique  went  along 
a  prisoner  or  not,  he  was  mounted  on  a  horse 
and  accompanied  the  governor  unfettered  of 
limb  or  movement.  Considerable  difficulty 
was  experienced  in  finding  a  steed  sufficient- 
ly strong  to  bear  his  mighty  frame ;  but  final- 
ly he  was  placed  upon  a  pack  -  horse,  the 
sturdiest  beast  in  the  troop,  and,  while  his 
feet  nearly  touched  the  ground,  he  rode 
proudly,  though  fearsomely,  at  the  head  of 
the  cavalcade.  One  of  the  governor's  gifts 
to  the  cacique  was  a  voluminous  robe,  scar- 
let in  color,  and  a  mantle  to  match,  which, 
together  with  the  chieftain's  gigantic  size 
and  lofty  plumes,  made  him  "the  observed 
of  all  observers."  He  might  have  been  par- 
doned for  indulging  in  a  feeling  of  pride,  even 
of  exultation,  for  he  out-matched  De  Soto  in 
size  and  gorgeous  garments,  while  in  his  heart 
he  believed  he  was  leading  him  to  destruction. 
He  coveted  those  wonderful  animals,  the 
horses,  the  armor  and  the  weapons  of  the 
Spaniards,  and  after  Mauvila  was  reached  he 
determined  to  effect  their  capture. 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

Tuscaloosa  town,  like  Talise,  was  built  on  a 
peninsula  formed  by  the  windings  of  a  river 
supposed  to  be  the  Alabama.  It  was  a 
place  of  strength,  but  not  so  strong  as 
Mauvila,  which,  though  it  stood  on  a  plain, 
was  fortified  with  palisados.  A  short  stay 
was  made  there,  but  only  long  enough  to 
cross  the  river  in  canoes  and  on  rafts  fur- 
nished by  the  Indians.  Thence  the  route 
lay  through  a  very  populous  country,  dotted 
with  hamlets  and  swarming  with  warriors 
who,  loosely  gathered  in  troops  and  detached 
bands  though  they  were,  yet  seemed  con- 
verging towards  a  common  centre,  which 
was  Mauvila.  A  few  hundred  only  accom- 
panied Tuscaloosa  and  the  Spaniards;  but 
the  chieftain  was  proudly  confident  in  his 
strength,  for  he  knew  that  at  a  signal  the 
fields  and  the  forests  would  be  alive  with  his 
hardy  warriors,  who  by  sheer  force  of  num- 
bers would  overcome  the  Spaniards  and  de- 
stroy them  utterly. 

It  was,  perhaps,  difficult  for  the  grim  ca- 
cique to  restrain  his  wild  braves,  scattered 
as  they  were  throughout  the  wilderness,  and 
though  he  desired  to  commit  no  overt  act 
until  fully  prepared  to  carry  out  the  scheme 
of  destruction  in  its  entirety,  a  few  of  the 


THE    GREAT    CHIEF,   TUSCALOOSA 

Spaniards  disappeared,  having  probably  been 
murdered  by  Indians  in  ambush.  Two  sol- 
diers were  missing  one  morning,  and  Tusca- 
loosa  was  asked  if  he  knew  what  had  become 
of  them. 

" Do  /  know ?"  he  growled.  "Why  should 
I  know?  I  have  people  of  my  own  to  care 
for.  Why  do  you  ask  me  about  yours  ?  Did  I 
ask  you  to  place  them  in  my  charge  ?  I  am 
not  their  keeper.  Look  for  them  yourself." 

The  Spaniards  looked,  but  in  vain.  The 
missing  soldiers  never  answered  at  roll-call, 
nor  were  they  heard  of  again.  De  Soto's 
suspicions  were  confirmed  by  several  circum- 
stances on  the  march,  and  he  exchanged  hard 
words  with  Tuscaloosa,  who  finally  became 
sullen  and  refused  to  speak  after  he  had 
been  taxed  with  treachery,  but  continued  to 
supply  the  Spaniards  with  provisions  and 
carriers,  though  acceding  to  their  requisitions 
with  evident  impatience. 

It  was  plain  to  the  governor  that  the 
cacique  was  anticipating  his  arrival  at 
Mauvila,  and  could  scarce  contain  himself 
until  the  town  was  reached.  It  lay  above 
the  confluence  of  the  Alabama  and  Tom- 
bigbee  rivers,  less  than  a  hundred  miles  from 
Pensacola.  What  the  exact  distance  was 
is  213 


FERDINAND    DE   SOTO 

De  So  to  did  not  know,  but  he  and  his 
soldiers  realized  that  they  were  nearing  the 
projected  rendezvous  with  Maldonado,  and 
were  already  looking  forward  to  a  period  of 
rest,  as  well  as  to  news  of  their  loved  ones 
in  Havana  and  Spain. 

For,  in  the  bay  of  Pensacola,  Maldonado 
was  to  meet  them  with  the  brigan tines,  in 
the  month  of  October.  That  month  had  al- 
ready arrived,  as  it  was  on  the  i8th  that 
they  reached  the  town  of  Mauvila.  After  a 
few  days  here,  devoted  to  rest  and  recupera- 
tion, they  hoped  to  strike  directly  southward 
for  the  gulf.  Already,  they  imagined,  they 
could  feel  the  sea-breezes  kiss  their  cheeks, 
hear  the  roaring  of  the  surf,  and  the  cries  of 
sea-birds  as  they  skimmed  the  waves. 


XVI 

DESPERATE    ENCOUNTER   AT   MAUVILA 
1540 

MAUVILA,  the  cacique  Tuscaloosa's 
stronghold,  was  more  like  a  fortress 
than  a  town.  It  contained  eighty  or  a  hun- 
dred houses;  but  they  were  huge,  barrack- 
like  structures,  capable  of  holding  from  five 
hundred  to  a  thousand  people  each,  and 
were  surrounded  by  an  immense  wall  made 
of  tree-trunks  planted  in  the  ground,  wat- 
tled with  vines,  and  plastered  together  with 
mud.  Square  towers,  with  platforms  in- 
side for  righting -men,  rose  above  the  wall 
at  intervals  of  fifty  paces  or  so,  and  it  was 
pierced  with  numerous  loop-holes,  through 
which  darts  and  arrows  might  be  discharged. 
As  De  Soto  viewed  this  rude  fortress, 
which  seemed  erected  as  a  citadel  for  final 
defence,  he  acknowledged  to  himself  that 
nothing  short  of  artillery  could  breach  its 
woven  walls,  and  that  it  would  be  next  to 
2IS 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

impossible  to  carry  it  by  assault.  He  hoped 
there  would  be  no  occasion  for  attempting 
such  a  thing;  but  as  it  is  a  soldier's  duty  to 
consider  every  contingency,  he  looked  Mau- 
vila  over  with  a  critical  eye.  He  noted  that 
there  were  but  two  gates,  or  entrance-ways, 
and  these  were  strongly  defended ;  while  out- 
side the  walls  the  ground  had  been  cleared  of 
all  trees,  and  even  shrubs,  so  that,  for  more 
than  a  musket-shot  around  the  town,  there 
was  no  spot  in  which  an  enemy  could  hide. 

Sentinels  were  posted  on  the  walls,  and  as 
De  Soto  (with  his  advance-guard  only,  com- 
prising about  a  hundred  men)  approached 
the  eastern  gateway,  troops  of  warriors 
swarmed  forth  to  greet  him.  They  were  all 
fighting -men,  and  fully  armed;  but  grim- 
visaged  war  was  skilfully  masked  by  bands 
of  native  musicians,  lustily  pounding  wooden 
drums  and  evoking  shrill  sounds  from  Indian 
fifes,  while  bevies  of  graceful  dancing  -  girls 
capered  around  and  among  them. 

The  warriors  deployed  on  either  side  the 
gateway,  while  Tuscaloosa  led  the  way  with- 
in, the  reluctant  governor  still  by  his  side, 
but  with  suspicions  all  aroused.  His  martial 
instinct  sounded  the  alarm;  but  though  a 
scout  whom  he  had  sent  in  advance  sought 
216 


DESPERATE    ENCOUNTER   AT    MAUV1LA 

his  side  and  reported  that  a  dark  and  treach- 
erous plot  was  brewing,  he  was  compelled 
by  circumstances  to  go  with  the  chief.  Ten 
thousand  warriors  were  already  assembled 
within  the  town,  the  scout  informed  him,  the 
pick  of  Tuscaloosa's  fighting-men,  and  armed 
to  the  teeth.  They  were  concealed  in  the 
largest  houses,  which,  he  said,  were  veritable 
arsenals,  filled  with  weapons  of  every  sort. 
If  the  governor  would  look  around  him,  he 
would  see  that,  while  the  streets  were  alive 
with  men-of-arms,  there  was  hardly  a  single 
woman  or  child — in  a  word,  scarcely  a  non- 
combatant — left  within  the  walls.  These  had 
been  strengthened,  the  towers  filled  with 
armed  men,  and  quivers  full  of  arrows  hung 
at  convenient  stations. 

Never  before,  perhaps,  had  De  So  to  walked 
deliberately  into  such  a  trap,  and  prepared, 
too,  by  one  whom  he  already  suspected. 
Still,  he  could  not  do  else  than  dissemble; 
and  when  the  cacique,  with  a  grim  smile  that 
bared  his  cannibal  fangs,  indicated  one  of 
the  houses  as  quarters  for  the  governor  and 
his  officers,  he  thanked  him  courteously.  He 
even  consented  to  the  tethering  of  their 
steeds  and  the  encamping  of  the  troops  at  a 
distance  outside  the  walls,  though  he  knew 
217 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

that  this  division  of  his  army,  separating 
officers  from  their  horses  and  both  from  the 
main  body  of  foot  and  cavalry,  might  insure 
their  swift  destruction. 

Having  disposed  his  guests  to  his  satis- 
faction, the  cacique  dismounted,  and  was 
about  to  depart,  when  De  Soto  halted  him 
with  a  request  that  he  remain  and  share 
his  quarters,  also  the  noonday  meal,  which 
would  soon  be  ready.  Drawing  himself  up 
to  his  full  height,  and  wrapping  around  his 
burly  form  the  scarlet  robe  which  the  gov- 
ernor had  given  him,  Tuscaloosa  replied,  with 
a  snarl:  "I  have  had  enough  of  your  com- 
pany ;  I  am  tired  of  walking  and  of  riding. 
This  is  my  own  land,  and  not  any  of  it  is 
yours.  So,  go  you  in  peace,  and  when  you 
will;  but  do  not  think  that  I,  Tuscaloosa, 
shall  go  with  you  out  of  my  own  country.  I 
shall  stay  in  my  stronghold."  With  these 
words,  or  others  to  their  purport,  the  haughty 
chieftain  strode  away  and  entered  a  house 
which  had  been  observed  to  be  filled  with 
Indians  armed  with  bows  and  arrows. 

The  governor  bit  his  lip  with  vexation; 

but  he  was,  at  the  moment,  helpless,  for  the 

main  body  of  the  army,  including  many  of 

the  cavalry  and  all  the  infantry,  was  yet  at 

218 


DESPERATE    ENCOUNTER  AT    MAUVILA 

a  distance.  Captain  Luis  de  Moscoso,  mas- 
ter of  the  camp,  had  command  of  the  rear- 
guard, and  was  responsible  for  its  dilatory 
movements.  He  had  said  to  the  governor, 
that  morning,  that,  since  the  Indians  were 
so  evil-disposed,  it  would  be  better  to  camp 
in  the  woods,  to  which  De  Soto  had  answered : 
"  I  am  impatient  of  sleeping  out,  and  purpose 
to  lodge  in  the  town."  And  he  had  his  way, 
as  he  always  had  it,  with  the  result  that  we 
have  noted.  While  Moscoso  and  the  main 
body  were  lagging  behind  in  the  forest,  the 
governor  was  being  consumed  with  anxiety. 
At  any  moment  the  trap  might  be  sprung, 
the  fire-brand  be  thrown,  that  would  explode 
the  mine  beneath  his  feet. 

Yet,  with  a  calm  countenance,  he  ordered 
his  baggage  taken  to  quarters  and  dinner 
prepared.  It  had  been  his  custom  to  have 
the  cacique  at  meals  with  him,  as  well  as 
within  sight  all  the  time.  When  dinner  was 
announced  he  sent  the  interpreter,  Juan 
Ortiz,  to  call  him,  but  he  was  not  allowed  to 
enter  the  house  in  which  the  cacique  had 
concealed  himself,  though  a  young  warrior 
promised  to  give  him  the  message.  After  a 
while  of  waiting,  De  Soto  sent  again,  and, 
receiving  no  satisfactory  reply,  despatched 
219 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

Ortiz  a  third  time  on  his  errand.  This  time, 
though  he  was  again  halted  at  the  door  of 
the  house,  he  shouted  so  loud  that  all  within 
might  hear:  "Tell  the  chief,  Tuscaloosa,  to 
come  forth ;  for  the  food  is  on  the  table,  and 
his  excellency  is  tired  of  waiting." 

Scarcely  were  the  words  out  of  his  mouth 
than  an  Indian  brave  burst  through  the  door- 
way, and,  shaking  his  fists  menacingly  at 
Ortiz,  exclaimed  furiously:  "Who  are  these 
robbers,  these  vagabonds,  who  keep  calling 
to  my  chief,  '  Tastalusa  come  out,  come  out !' 
as  if  he  were  one  of  them  ?  By  the  Sun,  our 
god,  and  the  Moon,  his  wife,  such  insolence 
cannot  longer  be  borne !  Come  out,  brothers, 
come  out,  and  let  us  cut  them  to  pieces!" 

His  eyes  flashed  fire,  he  frothed  at  the 
mouth ;  but  he  may  have  meant  nothing  more 
than  mere  bravado.  Still,  when  an  Indian 
behind  him  placed  a  bow  with  arrows  in  his 
hand,  he  threw  back  his  cloak  of  marten-skin, 
which  hung  over  one  shoulder,  and  made  as 
if  to  use  the  weapons  instantly.  Fixing  an 
arrow  on  the  string,  he  drew  it  to  its  head, 
and  was  about  to  let  fly  at  a  group  of  Span- 
iards gathered  in  the  square.  In  doing  this 
he  exposed  his  naked  side,  and  Baltasar 
de  Gallegos,  a  cavalier  who  had  come  with 


DESPERATE    ENCOUNTER   AT    MAUVILA 

Ortiz,  gave  him  such  a  gash  with  his  sword 
that  it  was  laid  open  in  a  gaping  wound, 
through  which  his  life-blood  gushed  in  a 
crimson  flood. 

He  fell  dead  on  the  spot;  but  an  avenger 
appeared  in  the  person  of  his  son,  a  noble- 
looking  youth,  who  sent  six  or  seven  arrows 
at  Gallegos  as  fast  as  he  could  speed  them. 
Seeing  that  they  glanced  harmless  from  his 
armor,  he  rained  blows  from  his  bow  upon 
the  helmeted  head  of  the  cavalier,  with  such 
force  that  the  blood  ran  down  his  forehead. 
But  he  was  soon  laid  low  beside  his  father, 
with  two  thrusts  of  the  sword,  and  the 
dazed  Gallegos  retreated  with  what  speed  he 
could. 

At  the  same  instant,  as  if  at  a  preconcerted 
signal,  a  terrible  war-whoop  burst  from  ten 
thousand  throats,  and  the  concealed  warriors 
poured  forth  into  the  streets.  They  attack- 
ed the  Spaniards  furiously,  giving  them  scant 
time  to  seize  their  arms,  and  cutting  off  the 
cavalry  from  their  horses,  which  were  teth- 
ered outside  the  walls. 

All  within  the  town  ran  for  the  gates,  and 
the  governor  was  by  no  means  a  laggard  in 
the  race,  though,  encumbered  by  his  armor 
as  he  was,  he  fell  twice  or  thrice  before  he 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

reached  his  horse.  Leaping  to  the  saddle  and 
cutting  loose  the  reins,  he  shouted  to  the  sol- 
diers: "Into  the  open,  sons! — into  the  open! 
Draw  the  heathen  away  from  the  walls  and 
then  make  a  stand  and  fall  upon  them!" 
Some  of  the  troopers  followed  him,  and  a 
little  band  was  gathered;  but  some  others 
were  not  so  fortunate,  for,  unable  to  gain 
their  mounts,  they  lost  their  horses,  as  they 
were  shot  to  death  with  arrows,  and  most  of 
them  lost  their  lives. 

De  Soto  received  a  severe  wound  early  in 
the  action,  an  arrow  having  struck  him  in  the 
thigh ;  but,  though  unable  to  sit  in  his  saddle, 
and  compelled  to  fight  standing  in  his  stir- 
rups, he  continued  in  active  conflict  nine  long 
hours,  during  which  time  the  battle  raged 
unceasingly.  His  wound  was  very  painful; 
but  he  ignored  it  in  the  heat  of  battle,  and 
his  concern  for  himself  was  swallowed  up  in 
that  for  his  men.  Among  those  killed  that 
day  were  his  two  nephews,  Carlos  Enriquez 
and  Diego  de  Soto.  Both  were  shot  with 
Indian  arrows,  the  one  in  the  eye  and  the 
other  in  the  neck. 

Having  drawn  many  of  the  savages  out 
into  the  plain,  De  Soto  turned  upon  them 
with  his  cavaliers  and  inflicted  great  slaugh- 


DESPERATE    ENCOUNTER    AT    MAUV1LA 

ter  before  they  could  regain  the  gates.  The 
survivors  retreated  precipitately  within  the 
walls,  and,  shutting  the  gates,  greeted  the 
Spaniards  with  howls  of  defiance  and  deri- 
sion. They  considered  themselves  safe  from 
attack,  within  their  impregnable  stronghold, 
and,  having  secured  nearly  all  the  baggage  of 
the  command,  which  had  been  brought  in 
by  the  carriers,  they  proceeded  to  divide  the 
plunder.  As  fast  as  the  carriers  came  in,  they 
had  relieved  them  of  their  burdens,  which 
they  took  inside  the  walls ;  then  they  broke 
their  chains,  and,  placing  weapons  in  their 
hands,  sent  them  to  join  Mauvila's  defenders. 
In  the  midst  of  the  tumult,  the  advance 
of  the  rear  -  guard,  under  Moscoso,  came 
up,  and,  when  all  had  arrived,  a  cordon 
was  formed  about  the  doomed  stronghold, 
through  which  it  was  next  to  impossible  for 
the  invested  force  to  break.  As  the  fortress 
was  well  provisioned,  the  beleaguered  Ind- 
ians did  not  concern  themselves  as  to  the 
immediate  future,  but  seemed  to  have  re- 
solved to  await  the  dispersion  of  the  Span- 
iards. Then  they  would  sally  forth  and  fall 
upon  them  in  the  forest,  by  their  great  num- 
bers overcoming  any  advantage  the  stran- 
gers might  have  as  to  weapons  and  armor. 
223 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

But  they  did  not  understand  those  iron- 
hearted  men  of  Spain,  who  never  retired  in 
defeat,  who  ever  fought  on  to  a  victory.  The 
savages  had  made  it  impossible  for  them  to 
retire  from  the  field,  since  they  held  their 
baggage,  which  contained,  not  alone  all  their 
surplus  armor  and  clothing,  their  plunder  of 
pearls,  medicines,  bandages  for  binding  up 
wounds,  and  surgical  instruments,  but  also 
many  swords  and  arquebuses,  which  the 
careless  soldiers  had  forced  the  porters  to 
carry  when  weary  with  their  weight. 

Moreover,  it  was  awesomely  told  De  Soto 
that,  in  the  hurry  and  confusion  of  the  re- 
treat, a  small  body  of  men  had  been  left 
behind  in  the  house  he  had  occupied.  There 
were  five  halberdiers  and  three  cross-bow-men 
of  the  governor's  guard,  besides  a  friar,  a 
priest,  and  two  Indian  slaves.  These  were  in 
peril,  and  unless  promptly  succored  would 
certainly  be  slain.  Arms  and  equipment 
De  Soto  might,  perchance,  leave  behind,  but 
never  a  man  of  his  command  so  long  as 
there  was  hope  that  his  life  might  be  saved. 
Then,  doubtless,  the  governor  wished  for  the 
one  piece  of  artillery  which  he  had  left  with 
the  cacique  of  Cofaqui,  for  with  it  he  might 
have  battered  the  walls  and  opened  a  breach 
224 


DESPERATE    ENCOUNTER   AT    MAUVILA 

through  which  to  rush  to  the  rescue  of  his 
comrades. 

But  rescued  they  must  be — they  should 
be  —  with  the  falconet  or  without  it.  He 
circled  the  walls  in  vain,  looking  for  a  weak 
place  or  any  kind  of  an  opening.  Then  he 
drew  rein  just  out  of  bowshot  from  the  east- 
ern gate.  "We  must  storm  it,"  he  sternly 
said.  "  One  hundred  with  bucklers  and  bat- 
tle-axes, one  hundred  with  lance  and  sword. 
On,  my  sons!  Santiago!  and  at  them!" 

Then  at  the  gate  he  led  them  —  a  human 
battering-ram.  Nothing  could  withstand  the 
onset  of  those  steel-cased  cavaliers.  Pro- 
tected by  their  bucklers,  they  wielded  the 
ponderous  battle-axes  with  such  effect  that 
the  gate  went  down  with  a  crash. 

Into  the  gap  they  poured  tumultuously, 
shouting  their  battle-cries,  slashing  and  lanc- 
ing all  who  opposed,  and  in  the  midst  of 
showers  of  arrows  that  glanced  from  their 
armor  like  hail.  Not  all  escaped,  however, 
for  the  savages  had  found  their  vulnerable 
points,  and  shot  at  their  faces  and  necks,  as 
well  as  at  their  horses  from  beneath  as  they 
passed  over  those  who  were  overthrown. 
The  house  was  reached  and  the  inmates 
rescued  just  in  the  nick  of  time,  for  the 
225 


FERDINAND   DE    SOTO 

Indians  had  removed  the  roof  and  were 
shooting  their  arrows  at  the  little  group  of 
defenders  huddled  within.  The  rescue  ef- 
fected, the  troopers  fought  their  way  back 
to  the  fields,  carrying  their  comrades  with 
them  and  inflicting  such  slaughter  by  the 
way  that  the  Indians  finally  paused,  aghast. 

Hundreds  had  fallen,  but  the  end  was  not 
yet.  At  the  command  of  De  Soto,  the  village 
was  set  on  fire,  and  scarcely  anything  within 
it  escaped  the  devouring  flames.  Construct- 
ed of  dry  wood  and  grass,  that  burned  like 
tinder,  the  houses  and  towers  were  quickly 
consumed,  and  with  them  all  they  contained, 
including  the  baggage  of  the  army  as  well  as 
the  brave  defenders  of  Mauvila.  Maddened 
by  their  sufferings,  choked  by  the  volumes  of 
smoke  that  swept  the  streets,  and  scorched 
by  the  flames,  the  Indians  broke  down  the 
walls  and  made  for  the  fields ;  but,  again  and 
again,  the  Spaniards  drove  them  back. 

The  carnage  was  horrible;  the  slain  lay  in 
heaps,  in  windrows,  in  masses,  mingled  with 
charred  timbers  and  the  burning  wreckage 
of  the  town.  The  Indians  fought  to  the  bit- 
ter end,  and  if  one  escaped  it  was  not  by 
mercy  of  the  Spaniards,  who  ranged  around 
the  fallen  walls  like  demons  incarnate.  The 
226 


DESPERATE    ENCOUNTER    AT    MAUVILA 

last  of  the  warriors  seen  to  fall  was  a  gigantic 
savage,  who  perished  by  his  own  hand.  He 
had  been  the  centre  of  a  group  which,  fighting 
with  fury  and  despair,  had  been  crushed  out 
of  existence  by  the  Spaniards.  All  save  him- 
self had  fallen,  and,  in  a  dazed  way  realizing 
this,  he  sprang  to  the  rampart,  intending  to 
leap  over  and  escape.  But,  seeing  his  re- 
treat cut  off  by  the  soldiers,  waiting  like 
crocodiles  beneath  for  him  to  fall  into  their 
jaws,  he  snatched  a  bow-string  and  hung 
himself  from  the  limb  of  a  tree  that  projected 
over  the  wall. 

That  intrepid  warrior  was  the  last  Indian 
seen  in  the  town,  either  in  fight  or 'flight. 
The  dead  and  the  wounded  numbered  nearly 
three  thousand.  The  Spaniards  lost  eighty 
men  and  forty  horses,  and  among  them  count- 
ed up  seven  hundred  wounds,  which  there 
was  but  a  single  surgeon  to  dress,  and  he 
unskilled.  What  became  of  Cacique  Tus- 
caloosa  could  not  be  learned,  but  he  was 
never  seen  by  the  Spaniards  after  he  entered 
the  house  in  which  the  battle  began.  The 
body  of  his  son,  covered  with  wounds,  was 
found  in  a  field;  but  the  gigantic  chieftain 
disappeared  as  utterly  as  if  swallowed  up 
by  the  flames  that  devoured  two  thousand 
227 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

of  his  warriors.  More  than  a  thousand  were 
said  to  have  perished  in  a  single  building, 
having  been  suffocated  by  the  smoke. 

Whether  Chief  Tuscaloosa  perished  with 
them,  or  whether  he  survived  that  day  of 
disaster  to  his  tribe  and  in  some  other  part 
of  his  broad  domain  ruled  afterwards  the  rem- 
nant of  his  people,  is  not  known;  but  his 
proud  name  will  never  be  dissociated  from 
the  land  in  which  he  lived. 


XVII 

DE    SOTO'S    FATAL    DECISION 
1541 

THE  Spaniards  had  arrived  at  Mauvila, 
or  Mabila  (which,  no  doubt,  was  the 
Indian  name  for  Mobile),  on  October  i8th, 
and,  says  De  Soto's  secretary,  Rodrigo 
Ran j el,  "after  the  end  of  the  battle  as  de- 
scribed they  rested  there  until  November 
1 4th,  caring  for  their  wounds  and  their 
horses.  Up  to  that  time  the  total  deaths, 
from  the  time  the  governor  and  his  forces 
entered  the  land  of  Florida,  were  one  hundred 
and  two  Christians — and  not  all,  to  my  think- 
ing, in  true  repentance."  Further,  he  says: 
"They  killed  three  thousand  of  the  vaga- 
bonds, without  counting  many  others  who 
were  wounded  and  .whom  they  afterwards 
found  dead  in  the  cabins  along  the  road. 
Whether  the  chief  were  alive  or  dead  was 
never  known;  but  the  son  they  found 
thrust  through  with  a  lance." 

16  229 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

The  battle  of  Mauvila  was  a  crucial  event 
with  De  So  to,  for  he  lost  more  than  men  and 
horses,  plunder  and  ammunitions:  he  lost 
hope,  and,  in  a  certain  sense,  he  lost  courage. 
Though  he  was  not  animated  by  the  highest 
of  motives  hitherto,  yet  his  invincible  spirit, 
his  dauntless  bravery,  compel  our  admiration. 
But  after  the  terrible  conflict  at  Mauvila  we 
cannot  but  wonder  at  the  obstinacy  of  the 
man  in  persisting  in  a  course  which  every  one 
in  the  army  but  himself  recognized  as  crimi- 
nally wrong. 

While  resting  in  Tuscaloosa's  territory,  en- 
deavoring to  repair  his  losses  in  some  meas- 
ure, waiting  for  the  wounded  to  recover  or  die, 
he  received  the  information  that  Maldonado 
had  arrived  at  Pensacola  with  supplies  and 
reinforcements.  Such  gladsome  tidings,  com- 
ing to  him  in  the  midst  of  dire  discourage- 
ments and  perplexities,  could  not  but  have 
given  him  the  greatest  satisfaction  and  re- 
newed in  his  heart  the  long  -  deferred  hope 
of  establishing  that  colony  which  it  was  his 
intention  to  found  in  Florida.  The  bay  of 
Pensacola  was  then  but  a  seven  days' journey, 
or  less  than  a  hundred  miles,  distant  from 
Mauvila,  and  the  soldiers  naturally  expected 
that  his  next  move  would  be  in  that  direc- 
230 


DE    SOTO'S    FATAL    DECISION 

tion.  The  general  course  of  their  route  from 
Coosa  had  been  southwest,  and  a  continua- 
tion of  it  would  have  brought  them  to  the 
gulf.  The  battle  with  Tuscaloosa's  warriors 
was  only  an  episode  of  the  long  journey, 
which,  instead  of  frustrating  their  intention, 
should  have  emphasized  the  necessity  for 
meeting  the  ships  and  securing  supplies,  even 
were  the  search  for  gold  to  be  continued. 

Nothing  was  further  from  the  governor's 
intentions  than  to  abandon  this  search,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that,  after  more  than  a 
year,  devoted  to  toilsome  marches  and  per- 
sistent seeking,  no  trace  of  the  precious  met- 
al had  been  found.  It  was  a  reasonable  as- 
sumption, then,  that  further  search  would  be 
worse  than  useless,  and  this  view  was  adopt- 
ed by  the  soldiers  generally,  who,  in  discuss- 
ing the  situation  among  themselves,  agreed 
that,  the  bay  of  Pensacola  once  arrived  at, 
they  would  take  the  first  opportunity  that 
presented  itself  for  leaving  the  country. 
There  were  still  other  lands,  such  as  Peru 
and  Mexico,  where  gold  had  already  rewarded 
adventurers  with  great  wealth,  and  which 
had  been  obtained  with  one-tenth  the  toil 
and  fighting  they  had  experienced. 

No  one  could  doubt  their  loyalty  to  the 
231 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

governor ;  no  one  could  charge  that  they  had 
not  endured  patiently  and  accepted  with- 
out complaint  the  severe  trials  that  had  been 
their  portion.  But,  while  these  dauntless  spir- 
its were  not  in  the  strictest  sense  disheart- 
ened, they  saw  that  nothing  was  to  be  gained 
by  continually  fighting  half -naked  savages 
and  wandering  about  aimlessly  over  a  coun- 
try that  displayed  no  evidence  of  wealth, 
either  in  the  accumulations  of  the  people  or 
in  its  natural  resources. 

Now,  the  information  received  by  the  gov- 
ernor respecting  the  arrival  of  Maldonado 
was  conveyed  to  him  privately,  through  the 
interpreter  Ortiz,  whom  he  cautioned  to 
keep  it  secret.  Rumors,  however,  reached 
the  soldiers,  and  when  De  Soto  talked  with 
his  officers  of  his  plan  for  continuing  the  ex- 
ploration after  reaching  the  coast,  they  in- 
formed him  that  in  all  probability  he  would 
be  left  without  support.  This  intelligence 
came  to  De  Soto  like  a  revelation,  for  up  to 
that  time  his  men  had  yielded  unquestioning 
obedience  to  his  slightest  wishes,  and  he 
could  not  believe  them  capable  of  thwarting 
him  in  any  event.  So  he  disguised  himself 
and  went  stealthily  about  the  camp.  The 
upshot  of  it  was  that  he  returned  to  his 
232 


DE    SOTO'S    FATAL    DECISION 

quarters  with  the  worst  news  that  he  had 
heard  confirmed,  and  from  that  moment  was 
a  changed  individual. 

He  seemed  to  forget  that  these  men, 
comprising  Spaniards  of  every  rank,  from 
the  humblest  soldier  to  the  proudest  hidalgo, 
had  embarked  on  this  expedition  at  his  own 
solicitations,  had  ventured  their  entire  fort- 
unes, whether  large  or  small,  had  suffered  ex- 
treme privations,  witnessed  the  deaths  of  a 
hundred  companions  and  the  sweeping  away 
of  all  their  accumulations,  with  hardly  a 
murmur  of  complaint. 

He  thought  only  of  his  own  terrible  losses : 
of  the  fortune  he  had  spent  in  the  equip- 
ment, of  the  renown  and  dignities  he  had 
gained,  and  hoped  to  gain,  trampled,  as  it 
were,  in  the  dust ;  of  the  return  to  Cuba,  not 
only  penniless,  but  an  object  of  hatred  and 
contempt.  In  a  sentence,  then,  he  resolved 
to  turn  his  back  on  Pensacola  and  safety, 
"because  the  pearls  he  wished  to  send  to 
Cuba  for  show,  that  their  fame  might  raise 
the  desire  of  coming  to  Florida,  had  been 
lost,  and  he  feared  that,  hearing  of  him  with- 
out seeing  either  gold  or  silver,  or  other 
thing  of  value  from  that  land,  it  would  ac- 
quire such  a  reputation  that  no  one  would 
233 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

be  found  to  go  there  when  men  should  be 
wanted." 

Thus  wrote  one  of  the  annalists  who  was 
with  him,  the  anonymous  Fidalgo  of  Elvas, 
who  further  says:  " So  he  determined  to  send 
no  news  of  himself  until  he  should  have  dis- 
covered a  rich  country." 

Yes,  that  was  his  resolve:  to  set  his  face 
again  to  the  wilderness;  to  forego  the  lux- 
ury of  rest  and  refreshment  the  ships  would 
afford;  to  deprive  himself  of  news  from  his 
wife  and  his  government  in  Cuba;  and  all 
that  his  stubborn  pride  might  not  be 
wounded. 

The  stern,  invincible  nature  of  the  man, 
De  Soto,  is  displayed  in  this  determination; 
but  also,  alas!  his  supreme  selfishness.  He 
thought  only  of  himself,  of  his  blasted  hopes, 
his  unsatisfied  aspirations;  but  to  the  other 
nine  hundred  entities  comprising  his  com- 
mand he  gave,  apparently,  scant  considera- 
tion. They,  too,  had  honorable  aspirations, 
hopes,  desires;  they  had  wives  and  children, 
whose  hearts  were  yearning  for  some  news 
of  them;  they  had  fought,  and  freely  shed 
their  blood,  that  their  commander  might 
realize  his  ambitions ;  yet  they  were  ignored. 

It  was  in  this  spirit  that  he  gave  the  or- 
234 


DE    SOTO'S    FATAL    DECISION 

der  to  leave  Mauvila  and  march  northward, 
instead  of  southward  —  into  the  unknown 
wilderness,  instead  of  towards  the  coast  and 
the  ships.  Pursued  by  this  dasmon  of  un- 
rest and  unsatisfied  ambition,  he  continued 
to  wander  thereafter,  until  a  year  later  he 
met  the  messenger  of  death.  That  the 
soldiers  murmured  when  ordered  to  march 
away  from  the  haven  of  their  desires,  is  not 
to  be  wondered  at;  that  they  did  not  mu- 
tiny is  more  surprising.  But  they  did  not 
dare  to  oppose  their  stern  commander,  who, 
though  he  might  be  irrational,  even  eccen- 
tric to  the  verge  of  insanity,  yet  represented 
the  crown  and  their  king.  Silent  and  sullen 
were  they,  as  they  stored  their  wallets  with 
two  days'  provisions  of  toasted  maize  and 
took  their  places  in  the  ranks  —  those  deci- 
mated ranks.  Heavy  must  have  been  the 
hearts  of  the  soldiers  as  they  thought  upon 
the  comrades  who  had  fallen. 

"I  have  wondered  many  times,"  wrote 
the  historian,  Oviedo,  more  than  three  hun- 
dred years  ago,  "at  the  venturesomeness, 
stubbornness,  and  persistency,  or  firmness — 
to  use  a  better  word  for  the  way  these 
baffled  conquerors  kept  on,  from  one  toil  to 
another,  and  then  to  another  still  greater; 
235 


FERDINAND   DE    SOTO 

from  one  danger  to  many  others :  here  losing 
one  companion,  there  three  or  four;  going 
from  bad  to  worse,  without  learning  from 
experience. 

"O  wonderful  God!  That  they  should 
have  been  so  blinded  and  dazed  by  a  greed 
so  uncertain  and  by  such  vain  discourses  as 
Hernando  de  Soto  was  able  to  utter  to  those 
deluded  soldiers,  whom  he  brought  to  a  land 
which  he  had  never  seen,  nor  put  foot  into, 
and  where  three  other  leaders,  more  experi- 
enced than  he,  had  ruined  themselves.  .  .  . 

"  O  wicked  men,  O  devilish  greed,  O  bad 
consciences!  O  unfortunate  soldiers!  That 
ye  should  not  have  understood  the  perils  ye 
were  to  encounter,  how  wasted  would  be 
your  lives,  and  without  rest  your  soul!" 

How  true  the  words  of  the  moralist,  com- 
ing down  to  us  through  the  centuries  which 
have  intervened  between  his  time  and  ours! 
Yet  those  men  of  action  did  not  pause  to 
moralize.  They  could  not  have  scanned 
their  deeds  as  they  transpired,  for,  had  they 
done  so,  we  should  not  have  to  record  such 
things  of  them  as  are  shown  in  the  preced- 
ing pages.  "  From  the  moment  that  De 
Soto  discovered  the  purpose  of  his  men  to 
leave  him,  once  were  the  coast  attained," 
236 


DE    SOTO'S    FATAL    DECISION 

writes  the  most  entertaining  of  his  biogra- 
phers, "he  became  a  moody,  irritable,  dis- 
contented man.  He  no  longer  pretended  to 
strike  out  any  grand  undertaking,  but,  stung 
with  secret  disappointment,  went  recklessly 
wandering  from  place  to  place,  apparently 
without  order  or  object,  as  if  careless  of 
time  and  life,  and  only  anxious  to  finish  his 
existence."1 

Five  days  of  marching  through  a  fertile 
country,  pleasant  even  in  November,  took 
them  to  the  frontiers  of  another  province, 
where  they  found,  gathered  on  the  farther 
bank  of  a  deep,  wide,  and  rapid  river,  fifteen 
hundred  warriors  to  oppose  them.  These 
were  commanded  by  a  cacique  who  had 
heard  of  the  atrocities  committed  in  Mauvila, 
and  who  replied  to  De  Soto's  proffer  of  peace : 
"  Nay,  war  is  what  we  want,  a  war  of  fire 
and  of  blood." 

"  So  be  it,"  muttered  De  Soto.  "  We  come 
as  men  of  peace,  but  war  is  our  vocation." 

It  would  have  fared  ill  with  the  cacique 
could  the  governor  have  reached  him  then; 
but  twelve  days  elapsed  before  the  stream 
was  crossed,  owing  to  the  necessity  for 
building  piraguas.  During  that  time  the 

1  Theodore  Irving,  in  The  Conquest  of  Florida, 
237 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

opposing  skirmishers  were  incessantly  in 
conflict;  but  when,  after  infinite  toil,  the 
army  had  been  ferried  over  the  river,  short 
work,  indeed,  was  made  of  the  Indians. 
After  seizing  and  sacrificing  a  friendly 
native,  who  had  been  sent  over  with  a 
message  of  peace,  the  savages  fled  to  a  fort 
of  palisados  and  the  Spaniards  took  posses- 
sion of  their  village. 

They  were  now  in  the  country  of  the 
Chickasaws,  and  here  they  established  them- 
selves in  cantonment  for  the  winter  of  1540- 
1541.  Following  his  invariable  custom,  De 
Soto  tried  to  draw  the  cacique  of  the  Chick- 
asaws from  his  retreat,  sending  him  as  a 
bait  some  roasted  pork,  having  sacrificed  a 
few  of  his  precious  swine  for  the  purpose. 
The  chief  and  his  warriors  ate  the  meat  with 
relish,  finding  it  so  delicious  that  they  could 
not  resist  the  temptation  to  appropriate  such 
of  the  swine  as  they  could  secure  by  prowling 
about  the  camp  at  night.  The  governor  had 
not  intended  to  go  to  this  extreme  of  hospi- 
tality, and  two  Indians  caught  in  the  act  of 
stealing  hogs  were  by  his  orders  summarily 
shot,  while  another  thief  had  his  hands  cut 
off  as  a  warning. 

The  cacique  "appeared  grieved  that  they 
238 


DE   SOTO'S    FATAL   DECISION 

had  given  offence,  and  glad  that  they  were 
punished";  but  when  two  Spanish  soldiers 
entered  his  house  during  his  absence,  and 
stole  several  marten -skins,  he  insisted  that 
the  same  punishment  should  be  inflicted 
upon  them.  The  governor,  being  then  and 
thereafter  in  stern  and  melancholy  mood, 
assented  to  the  justice  of  this  proposition, 
and  condemned  the  soldiers  to  death.  In 
vain  his  officers  and  chaplains  begged  him 
to  be  merciful.  The  culprits  were  led  forth 
to  be  executed,  when  at  this  juncture  a  party 
of  Indians  arrived  in  the  village.  They  came 
to  complain  of  these  very  soldiers ;  but  Juan 
Ortiz,  the  only  interpreter,  told  the  governor 
that  the  cacique  desired  him  to  pardon  them, 
and,  as  a  favor  to  the  savage,  he  did  so.  Or- 
tiz then  informed  the  embassy  that  the  real 
offenders  were  in  prison,  and  would  be  pun- 
ished with  great  severity. 

Whether  on  account  of  this  double-dealing 
or  not,  the  Indians  soon  displayed  unmistak- 
able signs  of  hostility,  and  De  Soto  warned 
Camp-master  Moscoso  to  be  constantly  on 
his  guard.  Twice,  already,  Moscoso  had 
failed  his  commander  at  a  critical  moment, 
and  a  third  time  he  was  to  prove  unreliable, 
for,  one  dark  and  stormy  night,  when  the 
239 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

north  wind  was  shrieking  through  the  village, 
the  Indians  stealthily  passed  the  sentinels 
and  gained  the  central  square.  Above  the 
howling  of  the  tempest  rose  the  shrill  war- 
whoop  and  rolling  of  barbaric  drums.  Sud- 
denly the  whole  hamlet  burst  into  a  blaze, 
for  the  savages  had  shot  fire-tipped  arrows 
into  the  thatched  roofs  of  straw,  and  also 
lighted  them  with  torches,  which  they  had 
carried  concealed  in  earthen  pots. 

Fanned  by  the  gale,  the  fire  swept  the 
village,  driving  the  astonished  Spaniards 
from  their  shelters  and  into  the  arms  of 
their  relentless  foes.  They  were  dazed  by 
the  swiftness  of  the  assault,  scorched  by  the 
flames,  and  half  suffocated  by  the  smoke; 
but  they  fought  like  fiends,  grasping  the  first 
weapons  they  could  lay  hands  upon. 

De  Soto  himself  leaped  forth  with  less 
than  half  his  armor  on,  but,  sword  in  hand, 
mounted  his  horse  and  dashed  into  the  midst 
of  the  savage  throng.  Seeing  in  front  of  him 
an  Indian  of  gigantic  frame,  whom  he  took 
for  the  cacique,  he  charged  at  him  with  his 
lance,  upon  which  he  leaned  with  all  his 
weight  to  give  force  to  the  blow.  As  he  did 
so  the  saddle  slipped,  having  been  put  on 
hastily  and  without  being  girthed,  and  he 
240 


DE   SOTO'S   FATAL    DECISION 

fell  headlong  to  the  ground.  The  savage 
leaped  upon  him,  and  the  next  moment  would 
probably  have  been  the  governor's  last,  had 
not  a  dozen  troopers  dashed  to  his  rescue, 
and  with  lance  and  sabre  held  the  Indians  off 
till  he  had  gained  his  feet  and  remounted  his 
horse.  Then,  without  a  moment's  hesitation, 
he  spurred  into  the  thickest  of  the  fight  again. 

Though  more  than  forty  Spaniards  per- 
ished in  the  flames  or  at  the  hands  of 
the  Indians,  victory  eventually  crowned  De 
Soto's  efforts,  and  the  savages  were  van- 
quished. They  had  accomplished  their  chief 
design,  however,  which  was  to  secure  posses- 
sion of  the  swine,  for,  shut  within  a  thatched 
enclosure,  nearly  the  whole  herd  met  death 
in  the  flames,  and  for  several  days  thereafter 
the  Indians  had  a  surfeit  of  roast  pork. 

Fifty  horses,  also,  were  destroyed  that 
night,  some  by  fire  and  others  by  the  Indian 
arrows,  so  that  when  dawn  revealed  to  the 
Spaniards  the  extent  of  their  losses  they 
found  themselves  in  a  worse  plight  than  at 
Mauvila.  They  were  houseless,  almost  with- 
out food  or  raiment,  and  as  the  weather  was 
extremely  cold,  their  condition  was  pitiable. 


XVIII 

HOW  THE   MISSISSIPPI    WAS    CROSSED 
1541 

THE  fatal  night  of  the  fire  was  on  March 
4,  1541.  That  evening,  after  making 
his  rounds,  the  governor  had  proclaimed 
aloud  to  his  men:  "To-night  is  an  Indian 
night.  I  shall  sleep  armed  and  have  my 
horse  saddled;  and  do  all  ye  cavaliers  the 
same. ' '  It  was  well  that  he  did  so,  and  would 
have  been  better  for  all  had  they  followed  his 
example ;  but,  by  the  plight  in  which  the  fire 
left  them,  they  paid  dearly  for  their  careless- 
ness. 

"If  by  good  luck  any  had  been  able  to 
save  a  garment  until  then,"  says  the  Fidalgo, 
"it  was  there  destroyed.  Many  remained 
naked,  not  having  had  time  to  catch  up  their 
skin  dresses.  And  in  that  place  they  suf- 
fered greatly  from  cold,  the  only  relief  being 
in  great  fires,  and  they  passed  the  long  night 
in  turning,  without  the  power  to  sleep ;  for 
242 


HOW    THE    MISSISSIPPI   WAS    CROSSED 

as  one  side  of  a  man  would  warm,  the  other 
would  freeze.  Some  contrived  mats  of  dried 
grass,  sewed  together;  and  many  who  laugh- 
ed at  this  expedient  were  afterwards  com- 
pelled to  do  the  like.  The  Christians,  in  fact, 
were  left  so  broken  up  that,  what  with  the 
want  of  saddles  and  arms  which  had  been 
destroyed,  had  the  Indians  returned  the  sec- 
ond night  they  might,  with  little  effort,  have 
been  overpowered." 

"And  that  you  may  know,  reader,"  wrote 
Oviedo,  the  historian,  "what  sort  of  a  life 
these  Spaniards  led,  Rodrigo  Ranjel,  an  eye- 
witness, says  that  among  many  others  who 
were  enduring  great  hardships  in  this  under- 
taking, he  saw  a  knight,  one  Don  Antonio 
Osorio,  brother  of  the  lord  marquis  of  As- 
torga,  wearing  a  short  garment  made  of  the 
blankets  [buffalo  -  hides]  of  that  country, 
torn  at  the  sides,  his  skin  showing,  bare- 
headed, barefooted,  without  hose  or  shoes, 
a  buckler  at  his  back,  a  naked  sword  in  his 
hand.  And  the  stuff  of  which  he  was  made, 
and  his  illustrious  lineage,  made  him  endure 
this  toil,  amid  heavy  frosts  and  cold,  with- 
out laments  such  as  many  others  made;  for 
there  was  no  one  who  could  help  him, 
although  he  was  the  man  he  was,  and  had 
243 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

in  Spain  two  thousand  ducats  of  income 
through  the  Church.  And  that  day  this 
gentleman  saw  him  he  did  not  believe  he 
had  eaten  more  than  a  mouthful,  and  that 
he  had  to  dig  up  with  his  nails! 

"I  could  hardly  help  laughing  when  I 
heard  that  this  knight  had  left  the  Church 
and  the  income  mentioned,  to  go  in  search 
of  such  a  life  as  this,  at  the  sound  of  the 
words  of  De  Soto ;  because  I  knew  Soto  very 
well,  and  although  he  was  a  man  of  worth, 
I  did  not  suppose  he  was  so  winning  a 
talker,  or  so  clever,  as  to  delude  such  per- 
sons. Forsooth,  what  was  it  that  a  man 
like  him  wanted,  of  a  land  unexplored  and 
unknown?" 

What,  forsooth  ?  Many  were  asking  them- 
selves this  question  the  morning  after  the 
fire,  and  could  find  no  satisfactory  answer. 
The  Indians  did  not  cease  to  attack  them, 
by  night  and  by  day,  so  that  constant 
vigilance  was  demanded  of  all,  and  few  of 
the  wearied  soldiers  secured  the  rest  they 
greatly  needed;  though  provisions  were 
abundant,  the  foraging  -  parties  always  re- 
turning with  great  quantities  of  dried  fruits 
and  maize. 

They  removed  to  a  plain  a  little  distance 
244 


HOW   THE    MISSISSIPPI    WAS    CROSSED 

off,  and  there  set  up  a  forge,  with  bellows 
of  bear-skin,  by  which  they  retempered  their 
swords,  injured  by  the  fire.  They  made 
lances  and  saddle-trees  of  ash- wood,  shields 
of  buffalo-hide,  blankets  of  flexible  grasses, 
and  in  a  week  were  ready  to  march  on  again ; 
but  they  remained  in  their  temporary  huts 
during  the  month  of  March,  and  the  last 
week  of  April  resumed  their  wanderings. 
The  Spaniards  had  hoped  for  a  cessation  of 
hostilities  after  leaving  Chicaza  (the  prov- 
ince in  which  they  had  suffered  so  terribly) ; 
but  three  days  from  the  frontier  they  came 
upon  a  palisadoed  fortress  filled  with  Indians, 
"who  looked  like  devils  rather  than  men." 
How  these  "red  devils"  appeared  to  the 
astonished  eye-witnesses  let  one  of  them 
tell,  for  of  a  truth  his  description  cannot  be 
improved  upon,  and  it  brings  them  vividly 
before  us.  They  were  naked,  but  seemed  to 
be  clothed,  for  "their  bodies,  legs,  and  arms 
were  painted  and  ochred  with  red,  black, 
white,  and  vermilion  stripes,  so  that  they 
appeared  to  have  on  stockings  and  doublet. 
Some  wore  feathers  and  others  great  horns 
on  their  heads,  their  faces  blackened,  and 
eyes  encircled  with  vermilion,  to  heighten 
their  fierce  aspect.  So  soon  as  they  saw  us 


FERDINAND  DE  SOTO 

draw  nigh,  they  beat  their  drums,  and,  with 
loud  yells,  in  great  fury  came  forth  to  greet 
us.  ...  All  in  our  sight  they  made  a  great  fire, 
and,  taking  an  Indian  by  the  head  and  feet, 
pretended  to  give  him  many  blows,  and  cast 
him  i'nto  the  flames ;  signifying  in  this  way 
what  they  would  do  with  the  Christians." 

When  it  was  reported  to  De  Soto  that  the 
Indians  defied  him,  he  cast  caution  to  the 
winds,  as  usual,  during  that  sullen  mood  which 
then  possessed  him,  and  replied  to  Juan  de 
Anasco,  who  had  led  the  reconnoissance : 
"What,  devils — did  you  say?  Sooth,  then, 
we  cannot  pass  them  by.  Nothing  yet,  in 
shape  of  men,  have  we  seen  and  have  not 
vanquished.  At  them — at  the  diablos!" 

But  the  "  devils  "  were  strongly  intrenched ; 
nor  did  their  looks  belie  their  character.  Their 
fortress  was  an  involved  labyrinth  of  pali- 
sados,  considered  by  them  impregnable,  yet 
they  sallied  forth  to  meet  the  invaders  with 
ferocious  yells  and  discharges  of  arrows. 
Several  soldiers  were  mortally  wounded  at 
the  first  fire;  but,  with  the  governor  in  his 
accustomed  place,  at  the  forefront  of  battle, 
leading  the  cavalry,  the  Spaniards  charged 
upon  and  drove  them  within  the  portals  of 
the  fort.  There  they  became  so  jammed 
246 


HOW   THE    MISSISSIPPI   WAS   CROSSED 

within  the  narrow  entrance -ways  that  the 
attacking  troopers  cut  them  down  in  heaps 
with  their  good  swords,  and  when  they  had 
finally  gained  the  interior,  and  the  infantry 
gave  their  support,  the  carnage  was  horrible. 

The  savages  fought  with  desperation  and 
to  the  last  gasp,  but  many  escaped  from  the 
fort,  and,  swimming  a  deep  stream  on  the 
banks  of  which  it  was  built,  gathered  on  a 
plain,  where,  undismayed  by  their  fearful 
losses,  they  continued  their  cries  of  defiance. 
Wrought  to  a  fever-heat  by  the  action,  and 
his  anger  inflamed  by  a  blow  he  had  received 
on  the  head,  which  "made  him  see  stars," 
De  Soto  forded  the  stream  and  pursued  the 
Indians  for  more  than  a  league,  night  alone 
putting  a  stop  to  the  dreadful  slaughter. 

This  stronghold  of  the  Indians  was  called 
by  them  Alibamo,  and  was  probably  situated 
on  the  Yazoo  River,  from  which,  four  days 
after  the  battle,  De  Soto  set  forth,  still  in  a 
northerly  direction,  to  avoid  the  sea-coast, 
and  in  eight  days  reached  the  bank  of  a 
mightier  stream.  It  was  nearly  half  a  league 
in  width,  so  that  "a  man  standing  on  the 
farther  shore  could  not  be  told  whether  he 
were  a  man  or  not."  Its  current  was  swift, 
a  turbulent  flood,  and  on  its  surface  were 
247 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

great  trees  and  masses  of  drift-wood,  tell- 
ing of  its  tremendous  force  and  the  distant 
sources  of  its  waters. 

The  Indian  name  of  the  river,  at  this  point, 
was  Chucagua ;  but,  as  it  was  the  largest  the 
Spaniards  had  seen  in  "Florida,"  De  So  to 
called  it  the  Rio  Grande,  or  Great  River. 

It  was,  of  course,  none  other  than  the 
Mississippi,  our  wonderful  "  Father  of  Wa- 
ters," "  De  Soto  was  the  first  European," 
says  Mr.  Irving  in  his  Conquest  of  Florida, 
"who  looked  upon  the  turbid  waters  of  this 
magnificent  river,  and  that  event  has  more 
surely  enrolled  his  name  among  those  who 
will  ever  live  in  American  history  than  if  he 
had  discovered  mines  of  gold  and  silver."  1 

Still,  De  Soto,  at  that  time,  would  rather 
have  found  the  mines  of  which  he  was  in 
search;  and,  like  Columbus,  who  discovered 
a  new  continent  without  being  aware  of  the 
fact,  was  ignorant  of  the  magnitude  of  his 
own  discovery.  It  is  doubtful  if  he  could 

1  De  Soto  was  not  the  discoverer  of  the  Mississippi, 
nor  the  first  European  to  look  upon  it,  for  its  mouth 
had  been  entered  in  1520  by  Alonzo  Alvarez  de  Poinda, 
commander  of  an  expedition  fitted  out  by  Francisco  de 
Garay,  then  governor  of  Jamaica.  Pa'nfilo  de  Nar- 
vaez,  also,  must  have  entered,  or  crossed,  its  mouth 
in  or  about  1528. 

248 


DE    SOTO    ON     THE    SHORE    OF    THE    MISSISSIPPI 


HOW   THE    MISSISSIPPI    WAS   CROSSED 

have  appreciated  its  value  had  he  been  in- 
formed of  it  when,  approaching  the  mighty 
stream,  through  tangled  swamp  and  flooded 
lowlands,  he  looked  anxiously  across  its  vast 
expanse  to  the  distant  shore  which  he  was 
so  desirous  of  attaining.  It  was,  to  him, 
merely  an  obstacle  in  his  march,  "another 
wide  river  to  cross,"  and  he  cast  about  at 
once  for  the  means  to  accomplish  his  task. 

"He  went  to  look  at  the  river,"  says  the 
Fidalgo,  "and  saw  that  near  it  there  was 
much  good  timber,  of  which  pirogues  might 
be  made,  and  a  good  situation  in  which  a 
camp  might  be  placed.  He  directly  moved, 
built  houses,  and  settled  on  a  plain  a  cross- 
bow-shot from  the  water,  bringing  together 
there  all  the  maize  of  the  towns  behind  him, 
that  at  once  they  might  go  to  work  and  cut 
down  trees  for  sawing  out  planks." 

The  nearest  town  to  the  Great  River  was 
called  Quizquiz,  which  was  the  name  borne 
by  a  chieftain  in  the  Inca's  armies;  but 
whether  De  Soto  was  reminded  by  this  of  his 
adventures  in  Peru,  and  thereby  constrained 
to  draw  a  contrast  between  his  former  glori- 
ous career  and  his  present  pitiful  state,  does 
not  appear.  The  contrast  is  obvious,  for  he 
was  now  not  only  broken  in  fortune,  but  to 
249 


FERDINAND   DE   SOTO 

some  extent  in  spirit.  Instead  of  seeking 
further  conquests,  he  desired  only  peace,  and 
permission  from  the  cacique  of  Quizquiz  to 
build  his  pirogues  and  cross  the  Great  River. 
This  the  cacique  was  himself  disposed  to 
grant ;  but  he  told  De  Soto  that  he  was  sub- 
ject to  a  greater  cacique,  who  would  be  angry 
if  he  did  not  oppose  his  progress,  and  so  felt 
compelled  to  assemble  his  warriors,  which  he 
did,  to  the  number  of  more  than  four  thou- 
sand. He  lived  in  a  hut  on  the  summit  of  a 
large  artificial  mound,  and  around  it  gathered 
his  warriors,  the  while  brandishing  his  spear 
and  haranguing  them  as  though  about  to 
lead  on  to  an  overwhelming  victory. 

Though  with  difficulty  restraining  his  an- 
ger, De  Soto  held  his  men  in  hand,  ready 
for  the  emergency  of  battle,  and  at  last  suc- 
ceeded in  pacifying  the  excited  chieftain  and 
securing  his  permission  to  remain  for  a  while, 
provided  his  men  abstained  from  ravaging 
the  province.  "The  next  day,"  according 
to  the  Fidalgo,  "the  great  cacique  arrived, 
with  two  hundred  canoes,  filled  with  warriors 
having  weapons.  The  warriors  were  painted 
with  ochre,  wearing  great  bunches  of  plumes 
in  many  colors,  having  feathered  shields  in 
their  hands,  with  which  they  sheltered  the 
250 


HOW   THE    MISSISSIPPI    WAS   CROSSED 

oarsmen  on  either  side ;  standing  erect,  from 
bow  to  stern,  holding  bows  and  arrows. 

"  All  the  canoes  came  down  together,  and 
arrived  within  a  stone's  -  cast  of  the  ravine, 
whence  the  cacique  said  to  the  governor,  who 
was  standing  on  the  river-bank,  with  others 
who  bore  him  company,  that  he  had  come  to 
visit,  serve,  and  obey  him;  for  he  had  heard 
that  he  was  the  greatest  of  lords,  the  most 
powerful  on  earth,  and  that  he  must  see  what 
he  would  have  him  to  do.  The  governor 
expressed  his  pleasure,  and  besought  him 
to  land,  that  they  might  the  better  confer; 
but  the  chief  gave  no  reply,  ordering  three 
barges  to  draw  near,  wherein  was  great 
quantity  of  fish,  and  loaves  like  bricks,  made 
of  the  pulp  of  persimmons,  which  De  Soto 
receiving,  gave  him  thanks,  and  again  en- 
treated him  to  land. 

"  Making  the  gift  had  been  a  pretext  to 
discover  if  any  harm  might  be  done;  but, 
finding  the  governor  and  his  people  on  their 
guard,  the  cacique  began  to  draw  away  from 
the  shore,  when  the  cross-bow-men,  who  were 
in  readiness,  with  loud  cries  shot  at  the 
Indians,  and  struck  down  five  or  six.  Still, 
they  retired  in  good  order,  not  one  leaving 
the  oar,  even  though  the  one  next  to  him 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

might  have  fallen.  Afterwards  they  came 
many  times  and  landed ;  but  when  approach- 
ed they  would  go  back  to  their  barges.  They 
were  fine-looking  men,  very  large  and  well- 
formed;  and,  what  with  the  awnings,  their 
plumes,  their  shields,  the  pennons,  and  the 
great  number  of  people  in  the  fleet,  it  ap- 
peared like  a  famous  armada  of  galleys." 

It  was  on  a  day  in  the  second  or  third 
week  of  May,  1541,  that  De  So  to  first  looked 
on  the  Mississippi,  which  appeared  to  him 
and  his  men  "larger  than  the  Danube" — as 
it  really  was — and  on  Saturday,  June  i8th, 
"the  whole  force  crossed  this  great  river  in 
the  four  barges  they  had  built,  and  gave 
thanks  to  God  because,  in  His  good  pleasure, 
nothing  more  difficult  could  confront  them." 

"On  the  other  side  of  the  river,"  wrote  De 
Soto's  secretary,  Ran j el,  "  about  seven  thou- 
sand Indians  had  got  together  to  defend  the 
passage.  All  of  them  had  shields  made  of 
canes,  so  strong  and  so  closely  interwoven 
with  thread  that  a  cross-bow  could  hardly 
pierce  them.  The  arrows  came  raining  down 
so  that  the  air  was  full  of  them,  and  their 
yells  were  something  fearful.  But  when  they 
saw  that  the  work  on  the  barges  did  not  re- 
lax on  their  account,  they  said  that  Pehaca, 
252 


HOW   THE    MISSISSIPPI    WAS    CROSSED 

whose  men  they  were,  ordered  them  to  with- 
draw, and  so  they  left  the  passage  free." 

These  Indians,  large  of  stature,  and  with 
their  shields  of  buffalo -hide,  were  probably 
the  warlike  Sioux,  and  the  place  of  crossing 
is  thought  to  have  been  the  lower  Chickasaw 
Bluff,  which  had  been  an  Indian  landmark 
from  time  immemorial.  The  western  bank 
of  the  river  was  occupied  by  the  army  at 
sunset,  and  the  next  day,  after  the  boats  had 
been  broken  up  (for  their  nails  and  bolts, 
which  were  preserved  for  another  occasion), 
the  interrupted  march  was  resumed.  The 
route  lay  through  a  populous  and  fertile 
country,  and  the  third  week  in  June  they 
entered  the  dominions  of  Lord  Casqui,  whose 
village  of  about  four  hundred  houses  was 
situated  in  the  centre  of  vast  cornfields  and 
on  the  banks  of  a  pleasant  stream.  This 
cacique  welcomed  them  warmly,  and  placed 
his  house,  which  was  built  upon  a  terraced 
mound,  at  the  governor's  disposal.  Bowers 
were  constructed  for  the  soldiers,  in  which 
they  reposed  during  the  daytime,  as  well  as 
by  night;  for  the  heat  was  oppressive,  and 
the  Indians  so  friendly  that  patrols  and 
sentinels  were  hardly  necessary. 

This  lord  of  Casqui,  says  the  chronicler, 
253 


FERDINAND   DE   SOTO 

was  the  first  Indian  the  Spaniards  had  met 
in  many  months  to  show  himself  amenable 
to  their  religion.  One  day  he  came  to  De 
So  to,  having  in  his  company  two  blind  men. 
"  He  said,  that  inasmuch  as  the  governor  was 
the  son  of  the  sun,  he  begged  him  to  restore 
sight  to  those  Indians;  whereupon  the  blind 
men  arose,  and  very  earnestly  entreated  him 
to  do  so.  De  Soto  answered  them  that  in  the 
heavens  above  there  was  One  who  had  the 
power  to  make  them  whole  and  do  whatever 
they  could  ask  of  Him,  whose  servant  he  was ; 
that  this  great  Lord  made  the  sky  and  the 
earth,  and  man  after  His  image ;  that  he  suf- 
fered on  the  tree  of  the  true  cross,  to  save 
the  human  race,  and  rose  from  the  grave 
the  third  day,  what  there  was  man  of  Him 
dying,  what  of  divinity  being  immortal ;  and 
that,  having  ascended  into  heaven,  He  was 
there  with  open  arms  to  receive  all  that 
would  be  converted  to  Him. 

"  He  then  ordered  a  lofty  cross  to  be  made 
and  set  up  in  the  highest  part  of  the  town, 
declaring  to  the  cacique  that  the  Christians 
worshipped  that,  in  the  form  and  memory  of 
the  one  on  which  Christ  suffered.  He  placed 
himself  with  his  people  before  it,  on  their 
knees,  which  the  Indians  did  likewise;  and 
254 


HOW   THE    MISSISSIPPI   WAS   CROSSED 

he  told  them  that  from  that  time  henceforth 
they  should  thus  worship  the  Lord,  of  whom 
he  had  spoken  to  them,  that  was  in  the  skies, 
asking  Him  for  whatsoever  they  stood  in 
need." 

One  version  of  this  incident  is  that  the 
cacique  asked  the  governor  to  request  his 
God  to  send  him  rain,  and  that  thereupon 
De  Soto  erected  the  great  cross,  amid  the 
prayers  and  anthems  of  the  army  and  in  the 
presence  of  thousands  of  adoring  Indians. 


XIX 

A    YEAR   OP   AIMLESS    WANDERING 
I54I-I542 

THE  year  that  followed  the  crossing  of 
the  Mississippi  was  devoted  to  the  same 
insensate  quest  for  gold  that  had  been  pur- 
sued by  De  Soto  during  the  two  years 
preceding,  and  was  equally  barren  of  re- 
sults. Learning  that  some  hills,  or  moun- 
tains, many  leagues  distant  to  the  south  and 
west  abounded  in  a  certain  yellow  metal,  the 
governor  set  out  in  search  of  them,  accom- 
panied by  Cacique  Casqui,  with  five  thousand 
warriors  and  three  thousand  Indians  laden 
with  the  baggage  and  supplies  of  the  army. 
The  Spaniards  had  rested  nearly  ten  days  on 
the  western  bank  of  the  Great  River,  and  they 
marched  eagerly  and  with  alacrity  through 
an  attractive  country,  until  they  reached 
the  borders  of  an  extensive  swamp.  This 
was  crossed  on  rude  bridges  constructed  by 
Casqui's  Indians,  two  days'  march  beyond 
256 


A   YEAR    OF    AIMLESS   WANDERING 

which  the  army  came  in  sight  of  the  capital 
town  of  another  cacique  known  as  Capaha. 
This  savage  was  at  war  with  the  allies  of  De 
Soto,  who  was  not  aware  of  this  fact  until  the 
town  was  reached,  when  it  was  discovered 
that  Casqui,  who  had  forged  ahead  with  the 
pick  of  his  warriors  (under  pretence  of  clear- 
ing the  trails  and  foraging  for  supplies), 
had  sacked  and  plundered  the  place,  besides 
massacring  the  inhabitants. 

It  then  developed  that  a  perpetual  enmi- 
ty existed  between  the  two  tribes,  of  Casqui 
and  Capaha,  and  that  the  former  had  availed 
himself  of  the  protection  afforded  by  his  new 
allies  to  commit  a  ravage  which  hitherto  had 
been  impossible,  owing  to  his  inferiority  in 
strength  and  courage  to  his  rival,  who  had 
always  vanquished  him  when  they  met  on 
the  field  of  battle.  He  and  his  warriors  grati- 
fied their  long-deferred  vengeance,  not  only 
by  killing  and  scalping  all  they  found  alive  in 
Capaha's  town,  but  by  breaking  open  and 
desecrating  the  sepulchres  of  his  ancestors. 
They  wrenched  from  their  coffins  the  remains 
of  warriors  who  had  defeated  them  in  the 
past,  exposing  them  to  every  sort  of  indigni- 
ty, and  then,  removing  from  poles  planted 
around  the  sepulchre  the  heads  of  their  own 
257 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

braves,  who  had  been  killed  in  previous  wars, 
replaced  them  with  similar  gory  trophies 
severed  from  the  trunks  of  those  they  had 
so  recently  slain. 

All  this  had  been  accomplished  by  the 
time  the  Spaniards  arrived,  and  it  was  too 
late  to  repair  the  evil,  though  De  Soto  was 
greatly  distressed,  as  he  had  hoped  to  make 
an  ally  of  Capaha,  and  not  an  enemy.  He 
could  not  afford  to  antagonize  a  cacique  of 
his  importance,  in  the  condition  in  which  he 
found  himself  at  that  time,  and  so  he  sent  an 
embassy  to  seek  him  out  and  proffer  his 
friendship. 

Capaha  had  retreated  from  the  town,  be- 
cause, being  a  practised  warrior,  he  recog- 
nized the  futility  of  opposing  Casqui  and  the 
Spaniards  in  that  defenceless  position,  but 
had  intrenched  himself  on  an  island,  where 
he  awaited  an  attack,  with  a  large  force  of 
warriors.  As  he  spurned  all  proffers  of  peace, 
the  governor  had  no  alternative  but  to  at- 
tack him  in  his  stronghold,  and  by  means 
of  seventy  canoes,  which  Casqui  promptly 
provided,  crossed  over,  with  two  hundred 
Spaniards  and  three  thousand  Indians.  The 
invaders  were  met  with  such  furious  as- 
saults, however,  that  they  could  hardly  ef- 
258 


A    YEAR   OF   AIMLESS  WANDERING 

feet  a  landing,  and  had  scarcely  done  so  be- 
fore Casqui's  warriors,  intimidated  by  the 
fury  of  their  ancient  enemies,  abandoned  the 
Spaniards  to  their  fate  and  paddled  away  in 
the  canoes. 

This  defection  might  have  cost  De  Soto  his 
life  and  his  army  had  not  the  valiant  Capaha 
ordered  a  cessation  of  hostilities,  after  in- 
flicting terrible  injuries  upon  his  foes,  and 
himself  extended  the  olive-branch  of  peace. 
He  was  as  sagacious,  it  seemed,  as  he  was 
courageous,  and,  recognizing  the  wonderful 
prowess  of  his  assailants,  determined  to  con- 
quer a  peace  and  convert  them  into  allies. 
This  was  the  more  readily  accomplished  since 
the  Spaniards  were  inclined  that  way,  and 
soon  the  recreant  Casqui  learned,  to  his  great 
mortification,  that  his  hated  rival,  Capaha, 
was  in  confab  with  his  redoubtable  ally.  Re- 
calling his  men,  he  sent  to  De  Soto  presents 
of  fish  and  mantles,  as  well  as  one  of  his  own 
daughters  as  an  ambassadress. 

Though  the  governor  despised  Casqui  for 
his  cowardice,  yet  he  felt  the  necessity  of  re- 
taining both  caciques  as  friends,  and  used 
his  best  efforts  to  bring  about  a  reconcili- 
ation. When,  however,  Casqui  came  into 
the  presence  of  De  Soto  and  Capaha,  the 
259 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

latter  did  not  deign  to  look  in  his  direction, 
but  ignored  him  completely.  He  refused  to 
listen  to  the  governor's  entreaties  at  first, 
for  his  heart  was  full  of  grief  at  the  insults 
offered  to  the  remains  of  his  ancestors  and 
dead  warriors,  which  he  had  reverently 
gathered  together  again  and,  with  tears  and 
groans,  deposited  in  their  coffins.  He  finally 
gave  his  hand  to  Casqui,  but  at  the  same 
time  significantly  remarked:  "Through  the 
strength  of  these  strangers  you  have  re- 
venged your  past  defeats,  which  you  never 
could  have  accomplished  unassisted.  Thank 
them  for  it,  then;  but  remember,  they  will 
not  stay  here  always ;  they  will  go,  while  we 
remain.  And,  rest  assured,  we  shall  meet 
again  on  the  battle-field!" 

Capaha  was  a  young  man,  of  frank  and 
manly  bearing,  and  De  Soto  was  more  drawn 
to  him  than  to  Casqui ;  but  the  latter  recov- 
ered the  governor's  confidence  by  the  follow- 
ing pathetic  appeal:  "How  is  it  possible, 
my  lord,"  he  said,  "that  after  having  given 
me  the  pledge  of  friendship,  and  without  my 
having  done  any  harm  to  you,  now  you  de- 
sire to  destroy  me,  your  friend  and  brother  ? 
You  gave  me  the  cross,  for  a  defence  against 
my  enemies;  yet  with  it  you  now  seek  to 
260 


A    YEAR   OF    AIMLESS   WANDERING 

destroy  me.  Now,  my  lord,  when  God  has 
heard  us,  by  means  of  the  cross;  when  my 
women  and  my  men  and  my  boys  threw 
themselves  on  their  knees  before  it,  to  pray 
to  the  God  who  you  said  suffered  on  it,  and 
He  heard  us,  and  gave  us  water  in  abun- 
dance and  refreshed  our  fields;  now,  when 
we  had  the  most  faith  in  it,  and  in  your 
friendship,  you  desire  to  destroy  these  men 
and  women  and  boys,  who  are  so  devoted  to 
you  and  your  God." 

The  governor,  to  his  credit  let  us  note  it, 
was  affected  to  tears  as  he  replied:  "Look 
you,  Casqui,  we  are  not  come  to  destroy 
you,  but  to  do  for  you  what  you  know  and 
understand  is  the  work  of  the  cross  and  our 
God  —  as  you  tell  me.  And  these  favors 
which  it  has  bestowed  upon  you  are  small 
things  in  comparison  with  many  others,  and 
very  great  ones,  which  it  will  secure  you  if 
you  love  it  and  believe  in  it.  Be,  then,  as- 
sured of  this,  and  you  will  find  it  so,  and 
realize  it  better  every  day.  And  when  you 
ran  off  without  my  permission,  I  thought 
that  you  held  the  teaching  we  had  given  you 
of  little  account.  But,  now  that  you  have 
come  in  humility,  be  assured  that  I  wish  you 
more  good  than  you  think ;  and  if  you  have 

18  26l 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

need  of  anything  from  me  tell  me  of  it,  and 
you  will  see,  since  we  do  what  our  God  com- 
mands us,  which  is  not  to  lie ;  and,  therefore, 
believe  that  I  tell  you  the  truth,  since  to 
speak  a  lie  is  a  very  great  sin  among  us." 

There  is  other  evidence,  also,  that  at  this 
time  the  governor's  mood  was  changing,  his 
hard  heart  softening  towards  the  Indians; 
but  that  his  attitude  with  respect  to  the 
soldiers  was  unchanged  is  shown  by  an  in- 
cident which  occurred  in  the  province  of 
Quigate  a  few  weeks  after  he  had  parted 
from  Casqui  and  Capaha.  Information  was 
brought  him,  at  or  about  midnight,  that  one 
Juan  Gaytan,  the  king's  treasurer,  had  re- 
fused to  go  on  patrol  at  the  morning  watch, 
declaring  it  derogatory  to  his  station.  Now 
it  chanced  that  this  same  Juan  Gaytan  had 
been  among  the  loudest  of  the  murmurers  at 
Mauvila,  and  led  the  faction  that  desired  to 
seize  the  ships  at  Pensacola  for  the  purpose 
of  returning  to  Cuba;  so  De  Soto  was  par- 
ticularly incensed  at  his  defection.  Spring- 
ing from  his  couch  in  the  dwelling  of  the 
cacique,  he  strode  forth  upon  the  terrace 
above  the  village  and  shouted,  so  that  all  his 
men  might  hear:  "What  is  this,  my  soldiers 
and  captains?  Do  the  mutineers  still  live 
262 


A    YEAR   OF    AIMLESS   WANDERING 

who,  when  in  Mauvila,  talked  of  returning  to 
Cuba  or  to  Spain ;  and  do  they  now,  with  the 
excuse  of  being  officers  of  the  royal  revenue, 
refuse  to  patrol  the  four  hours  that  are 
allotted  them?  .  .  .  Shame,  shame  on  you! 
And  recollect  that,  officers  of  the  royal  treas- 
ury or  not,  you  must  all  serve  your  sover- 
eign. Presume  not  upon  rank  you  may  pos- 
sess; for,  be  he  who  he  may,  I  will  take 
off  the  head  of  that  man  who  refuses  to  do 
his  duty.  And,  to  undeceive  you,  know  that 
while  I  live  no  one  shall  leave  this  country 
until  we  have  conquered  and  settled  it!" 

Needless  to  say,  Juan  Gay  tan  went  the 
rounds  that  morning,  and  every  morning 
thereafter  when  it  came  his  turn.  And  the 
soldiers  saw  that  their  stern  commander  was 
in  no  mood  to  tolerate  murmuring,  much  less 
any  suggestion  looking  towards  a  cessation  of 
their  wanderings.  It  mattered  not  that  the 
"yellow  metal"  of  the  mountains  proved  to 
be  nothing  more  valuable  than  copper,  that 
the  country  became  less  attractive  the  farther 
it  was  penetrated,  and  the  Indians,  if  possible, 
more  hostile.  De  Soto  was  still  inexorable. 
There  was  never  a  sign  of  civilization,  any 
more  than  there  had  been  before,  in  Flor- 
ida. The  people  were  savages,  all  of  them, 
263 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

and  their  dwellings  were  huts  of  the  rudest 
character,  while  as  for  gold  and  gems,  they 
possessed  neither,  and  seemed  never  to  have 
heard  of  them.  Thus  there  was  absolutely 
no  excuse  or  reason  for  further  wandering; 
yet  De  So  to  wandered  on,  from  one  prov- 
ince to  another,  here  meeting  with  kindness 
and  hospitality,  there  with  a  hostile  recep- 
tion. Decidedly  hostile  was  the  greeting  the 
Spaniards  received  in  the  province  of  Tula, 
which  is  a  name  likewise  borne  by  an  Indian 
settlement  in  Mexico.  The  natives  of  Tula 
were  ugly  by  nature  and  in  feature,  so  hid- 
eous in  appearance  that  they  appeared  de- 
formed. In  truth,  their  foreheads  were  ar- 
tificially compressed,  by  bandages  applied 
in  infancy,  until  their  skulls  were  almost 
conical  at  the  crowns.  But  they  were  as 
brave  as  they  were  ill-looking,  and  after  the 
Spaniards  had  occupied  their  village,  which 
they  had  abandoned  at  their  approach,  they 
made  a  midnight  attack  upon  it,  fiercely 
fighting  till  dawn,  and  killing  many  with 
their  pikes  and  battle-axes.  They  fled  at 
sunrise  to  the  forest,  and  the  Spaniards  dared 
not  pursue  them ;  but  of  those  made  captive 
"the  governor  sent  six  to  the  cacique,  their 
right  hands  and  their  noses  cut  off,  with  the 
264 


A    YEAR    OF    AIMLESS   WANDERING 

message  that,  if  he  did  not  come  to  him  to 
apologize  and  render  obedience,  he  would  go 
in  pursuit,  and  to  him  and  as  many  of  his  as 
he  might  find  would  do  as  he  had  done  to 
those  he  sent." 

This  barbarous  act  and  peremptory  mes- 
sage had  the  desired  effect,  for  at  the  end  of 
three  days  some  Indians  appeared,  deputed 
by  their  chief  to  treat  with  De  Soto.  As 
soon  as  they  saw  him  they  wept  copious- 
ly and  cast  themselves  at  his  feet.  They 
brought  a  present  of  cow- skins,  dressed  with 
their  tails  on,  which,  they  said,  were  ob- 
tained in  the  north,  where  roamed  great  herds 
of  enormous  beasts — which  were  doubtless 
the  bison,  or  buffalo. 

About  eighty  leagues  distant  from  Tula  lay 
the  province  of  Autiamque,  where,  the  Ind- 
ians said,  was  a  "great  water,"  which  from 
their  accounts  appeared  to  be  an  arm  of  the 
sea.  "Hence  the  governor  determined  to 
winter  there,  and  in  the  following  summer 
go  to  the  seaside,  where  he  would  build  two 
brigantines,  one  to  send  to  Cuba,  the  other 
to  Mexico,  that  the  arrival  of  either  might 
bear  tidings  of  him,  for  three  years  had  now 
elapsed  since  he  had  been  heard  of  by  Dona 
Isabel  or  by  any  other  person  in  a  civilized 
265 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

community.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  of  his 
men  were  dead,  likewise  one  hundred  and 
fifty  horses.  He  desired  to  recruit  from 
Cuba  of  man  and  beast,  calculating  out  of 
his  property  there  to  refit  and  return,  to  dis- 
cover farther  on  to  the  west,  where  he  had 
not  reached,  and  whither  Cabeza  de  Vaca  had 
not  wandered." 

In  Autiamque  De  Soto  resolved  to  pass  the 
winter  of  1541-1542;  and  as  the  abandoned 
Indian  granaries  were  full  to  bursting  with 
maize,  beans,  dried  grapes  and  plums,  while 
the  meadows  afforded  fine  pasturage  for  the 
horses,  the  Spaniards  did  not  lack  food  for 
themselves  or  for  their  beasts.  The  few 
Indians  who  had  lingered  were  made  captive 
and  served  to  bring  in  wood  and  water,  thus 
the  soldiers  were  relieved  of  labor,  and  passed 
the  most  enoyable  winter  of  any  they  had 
experienced  in  "Florida." 

While  wintering  in  Autiamque  (or  Utian- 
gue)  the  expedition  met  with  the  greatest 
loss  it  was  called  upon  to  sustain,  in  the 
death  of  faithful  Juan  Ortiz,  the  interpreter. 
Of  his  last  moments  we  know  nothing;  but, 
says  one  of  the  soldiers,  plaintively,  "His 
death  was  so  great  a  hinderance  to  our  going, 
whether  on  discovery  or  out  of  the  country, 
266 


A    YEAR    OF    AIMLESS   WANDERING 

that  to  learn  of  the  Indians  what  he  would 
have  rendered  in  four  words  it  became  neces- 
sary now  to  have  the  whole  day ;  and  oftener 
than  otherwise  the  very  opposite  was  under- 
stood of  what  we  wished  to  know.  Thence- 
forth a  lad  of  Cutifachique,  who  had  learned 
somewhat  of  the  Christians'  language,  served 
as  the  interpreter."  i 

Poor  Juan's  position  had  been  no  sinecure, 
and  his  services  were  in  continual  request, 
by  day  and  by  night.  "  Understanding  only 
the  Floridian  language,"  says  an  historian, 
"he  conducted  conversations  through  the 
Indians  of  different  tribes  who  understood 
one  another  and  who  attended  the  expedition. 
In  conversing  with  the  Chickasaws,  for  in- 
stance, he  commenced  with  the  Floridian, 
who  carried  the  word  to  a  Georgian,  this  one 
to  the  Coosa,  the  Coosa  to  the  Mobilian,  and 
the  latter  to  the  Chickasaw.  In  the  same 
tedious  manner  the  reply  was  conveyed  to 
him,  and  finally  reported  to  De  Soto." 

The  Indian  lad  who  succeeded  to  the  post 
of  interpreter  was  but  a  sorry  substitute,  and 
when,  in  the  month  of  March,  1542,  the 
winter  cantonment  was  abandoned  and  the 
wearisome  journeying  again  taken  up,  the 
Spaniards  became  acutely  sensible  of  their 
267 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

irreparable  loss.  They  were  involved  in  all 
sorts  of  difficulties :  lost  in  swamps  and  in 
dense  forests,  and  plunged  into  encounters 
with  Indians,  which  might  have  been  avoided 
had  they  possessed  an  intelligent  interpreter. 
Their  only  consolation  lay  in  the  fact  that,  at 
last,  their  commander  had  become  convinced 
of  his  error,  in  continually  wandering  west- 
ward, after  the  ignis  fatuus  of  gold  that 
never  materialized,  and  was  now  directing 
his  course  once  more  towards  the  Mississippi. 

Having  heard  of  a  fertile  province  called 
Anilco,  which  the  Indians  said  was  near  the 
Rio  Grande,  he  was  bent  on  reaching  it  be- 
fore his  waning  energies  should  prevent  him 
from  carrying  out  his  plan,  as  already  men- 
tioned, of  building  brigantines  and  sending 
to  Cuba  for  supplies.  He  had  not  then,  says 
one  of  the  original  chroniclers,  more  than 
four  hundred  efficient  men,  nor  more  than 
forty  horses.  "Some  of  these  beasts  were 
lame,  and  useful  in  making  a  show,  only,  of  a 
cavalry  troop ;  and,  from  the  lack  of  iron,  they 
had  all  gone  a  year  without  shoes." 

Reflecting  upon  the  sorry  condition  of  his 

steeds,  a  painful   contrast  must  have  been 

forced  upon  the  dispirited  commander,  when 

he  recalled  that  his  horses  were  once  in  a 

268 


A    YEAR    OF   AIMLESS   WANDERING 

similar  predicament  in  Peru.  Climbing  the 
craggy  steeps  of  the  sierras  had  worn  out 
their  shoes,  and  there  was  no  iron  available 
in  the  land ;  but  that  mattered  not,  for  more 
precious  metals  were  abundant  in  the  Inca's 
country,  and  so  they  were  shod  with  silver! 
Neither  silver  nor  gold  had  been  found  in 
paying  quantities,  and  no  natural  wealth,  in 
fact,  save  pearls,  the  deposits  of  which  lay 
so  far  to  the  eastward  that  they  could  not 
be  regained. 

The  country  was  populous  and  fertile ;  but 
the  more  Indians  De  So  to  encountered,  the 
more  foes  there  were ;  and  he  could  not  take 
advantage  of  the  soil's  fertility,  even  were 
he  so  disposed,  owing  to  the  lack  of  an  ad- 
vantageous situation  for  the  founding  of  a 
colony.  Anilco,  which  was  reached  after  a 
toilsome  march  through  swamps  and  rolling 
country,  was  a  fruitful  province,  and,  like 
Autiamque,  was  situated  on  a  tributary  of 
the  Mississippi,  supposed  to  be  the  Arkansas 
River.  About  twenty  miles  below  its  junc- 
tion with  the  Great  River,  however,  lay  the 
populous  town  of  Guachoya,  between  which 
and  Anilco  the  country  was  of  inexhaustible 
fertility. 

Towards  Guachoya,  consequently,  De  Soto 
269 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

directed  his  march,  and,  finding  the  favor- 
able descriptions  verified,  established  him- 
self there  and  at  once  began  preparations  for 
building  two  brigantines,  in  which  a  portion 
of  his  command  should  embark  for  Cuba  and 
Mexico.  The  cacique  of  Guachoya  was  most 
hospitably  inclined,  receiving  the  governor 
into  his  own  house  and  providing  subsist- 
ence for  the  army;  but,  for  reasons  of  his 
own,  every  day,  at  sunset,  he  and  his  war- 
riors embarked  in  their  canoes  and  sought 
the  eastern  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  where 
they  remained  till  sunrise  next  morning, 
when  they  returned,  to  minister  to  the  wants 
of  their  guests. 

From  the  behavior  of  the  cacique,  De  Soto 
suspected  that  he  was  forming  an  alliance 
against  him  of  the  neighboring  chiefs,  es- 
pecially as  the  cacique  of  Quigaltanqui,  on 
the  opposite  bank  of  the  river,  was  decided- 
ly hostile.  Neither  cacique  would  give  him 
any  information  relating  to  the  sea,  or  ocean, 
into  which  the  Mississippi  emptied  its  vast 
volume  of  waters,  so  he  sent  the  trusty  Juan 
de  Anasco  on  a  scouting  expedition,  from 
which  he  returned,  eight  days  later,  without 
having  discovered  anything  of  importance. 

"Then  the  governor  sank  into  a  deep  de- 
270 


A    YEAR    OF   AIMLESS   WANDERING 

spondency,"  relates  the  Fidalgo  of  Elvas, 
"  at  sight  of  the  difficulties  presenting  them- 
selves to  his  reaching  the  sea ;  and,  what  was 
worse,  from  the  way  in  which  the  men  and 
horses  were  diminishing  in  numbers,  he  felt 
he  could  not  sustain  himself  in  the  country 
without  succor.  Of  that  reflection  he  pined ; 
but  before  he  took  to  his  pallet  he  sent  a 
messenger  to  the  cacique  of  Quigaltanqui, 
to  say  that  he  was  a  child  of  the  sun,  and 
whence  he  came  all  obeyed  him,  rendering 
their  tribute;  that  he  would  rejoice  to  see 
him,  and  in  token  of  his  love  and  obedience 
he  must  bring  something  from  his  country 
that  was] most  in  esteem  there. 

By  the  same  Indian  the  chief  returned 
this  answer:  "As  to  what  you  say  of  your 
being  the  son  of  the  sun,  if  you  will  cause 
him  to  dry  up  the  Great  River  I  will  believe 
you;  as  to  the  rest,  it  is  not  my  custom  to 
visit  any  one ;  but,  rather,  all  of  whom  I  have 
ever  heard  have  come  to  visit  me,  to  serve 
me  and  to  pay  me  tribute.  If,  then,  you 
desire  to  see  me,  come  where  I  am.  If  for 
peace,  I  will  receive  you  with  special  good- 
will; if  for  war,  I  will  await  you  within  my 
town ;  but  neither  for  you  nor  for  any  other 
man  will  I  set  back  one  foot!" 
271 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

When  the  messenger  returned,  the  govern-  ' 
or  was  already  very  ill  of  fever.  He  grieved 
that  he  was  not  in  a  state  to  cross  the  river 
at  once  and  go  in  quest  of  the  cacique,  to 
see  if  he  could  not  abate  that  pride.  But  the 
stream  was  already  flowing  very  powerfully, 
was  nearly  half  a  league  broad,  sixteen  fathoms 
in  depth,  and  rushing  in  furious  torrent,  while 
on  either  shore  were  many,  many  Indians. 


XX 

LAST  DAYS  OF  DE  SOTO 
1542 

WHILE  many  a  description  has  been 
written  of  the  scenes  attendant  upon 
the  last  hours  of  Ferdinand  de  So  to,  there  is 
none  on  record  more  affecting  than  that  of 
the  Fidalgo  of  Elvas,  who  was  probably 
an  eye-witness  of  the  most  important  occur- 
rences, and  participated  in  them  all.  For 
this  reason,  his  very  words  are  quoted  in  this 
connection,  and  in  order  that  the  reader  may 
be  transported  directly  to  the  bedside  of  the 
dying  discoverer  as  he  lay  on  his  rude  pallet 
in  a  lowly  hut  belonging  to  the  cacique  of 
Guachoya. 

"Conscious  that  the  hour  approached  in 
which  he  should  depart  this  life,"  says  the 
artless  chronicler,  "  the  governor  command- 
ed that  all  his  officers  should  be  called  before 
him,  the  captains  and  principal  personages, 
to  whom  he  made  speech: 
273 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

"  He  said  that  he  was  about  to  go  into  the 
presence  of  God,  to  give  account  of  all  his 
past  life;  and,  since  He  had  been  pleased 
to  take  him  away  at  such  a  time — when  he 
could  recognize  the  moment  of  his  death — he, 
His  most  unworthy  servant,  rendered  Him 
hearty  thanks.  He  confessed  his  deep  obliga- 
tions to  them  all,  whether  present  or  absent, 
for  their  good  qualities,  their  love,  and  their 
loyalty  to  his  person.  He  begged  that  they 
would  pray  for  him,  that,  through  mercy,  he 
might  be  pardoned  his  sins  and  be  received 
into  glory.  He  then  asked  that  he  might  be 
relieved  of  the  charge  he  held  over  them,  as 
well  as  of  any  indebtedness  he  was  under  to 
them,  and  to  forgive  him  any  wrongs  they 
might  have  received  at  his  hands. 

"Baltazar  de  Gallegos  responded,  in  be- 
half of  all,  consoling  him  with  remarks  on 
the  shortness  of  the  life  of  this  world,  attend- 
ed as  it  was  by  so  many  toils  and  afflictions, 
saying  that  whom  God  earliest  called  away 
He  showed  particular  favor  to,  with  many 
other  things  appropriate  to  such  an  occasion. 
And  finally,  since  it  had  pleased  the  Almighty 
to  take  him  to  Himself,  amid  the  deep  sorrow 
they  not  unreasonably  felt,  it  was  necessary 
and  becoming  in  him,  as  in  them,  to  conform 
274 


LAST    DAYS    OF    DE    SOTO 

to  the  divine  will.  That  as  respected  the 
election  of  a  governor,  which  he  ordered, 
whomsoever  his  excellency  should  name  to 
the  command,  him  would  they  obey.  There- 
upon, the  governor  nominated  Luis  de  Mos- 
coso  de  Alvarado  to  be  his  captain-general, 
and  by  all  those  present  he  was  straightway 
chosen  and  sworn. 

"The  next  day,  which  was  May  21,  1542, 
departed  this  life  the  virtuous,  the  mag- 
nanimous, and  the  intrepid  captain  Don 
Hernando  de  Soto,  governor  of  Cuba  and 
adelantado  of  the  Floridas.  He  had  been 
advanced  by  fortune,  in  the  way  she  is  wont 
to  lead  others,  that  he  might  fall  the  farther; 
he  died  in  a  land,  and  at  a  time,  that  could 
afford  him  little  comfort  in  his  illness,  when 
the  danger  of  being  no  more  heard  from 
stared  his  companions  in  the  face,  each  one 
having  need  of  sympathy;  which  was  the 
reason  why  they  neither  gave  him  of  their 
companionship  nor  visited  him  oft,  as  other- 
wise they  would  have  done. 

"  Luis  de  Moscoso  determined  to  conceal 
what  had  happened  from  the  Indians,  for 
De  Soto  had  given  them  to  understand  that 
the  Christians  were  immortal ;  besides  which 
they  held  him  to  be  sagacious,  vigilant,  brave ; 
275 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

and,  although  they  were  at  peace,  should 
they  know  him  to  be  dead,  might  venture  on 
an  attack.  So  soon,  therefore,  as  death  had 
taken  place,  he  ordered  the  body  to  be  placed 
secretly  in  a  house  apart,  where  it  remained 
three  days ;  and  thence  it  was  taken,  by  his 
orders,  to  a  gate  of  the  town  and  buried 
within  the  wall.  The  Indians,  who  had  seen 
him  ill,  finding  him  no  longer,  suspected 
the  reason,  and,  passing  by  where  he  lay, 
they  observed  the  ground  loose,  and,  looking 
about,  talked  among  themselves.  This  com- 
ing to  the  knowledge  of  Luis  de  Moscoso,  he 
ordered  the  corpse  to  be  taken  up  at  night, 
and,  among  the  shawls  that  enshrouded  it 
having  cast  an  abundance  of  sand,  it  was 
taken  out  in  a  canoe  and  sunk  in  the  middle 
of  the  stream." 

These  precautions  were  taken  to  prevent 
the  Indians  from  offering  insult  to  the  re- 
vered remains,  which,  had  they  known  the 
burial-place,  they  would  certainly  have  torn 
from  the  grave,  and,  according  to  their  bar- 
barous custom,  hung  up  in  a  lofty  tree.  By 
sinking  the  body  of  De  Soto  beneath  the 
waters  of  the  Mississippi,  Moscoso  effectually 
precluded  the  carrying-out  of  their  evil  in- 
tention ;  but  the  manner  of  his  doing  it  was 
276 


LAST    DAYS    OF    DE    SOTO 

not,  probably,  as  given  by  the  Fidalgo.  Ac- 
cording to  the  Inca  Garcilaso,  the  body  was 
disinterred  and  placed  in  a  hollowed-out  log 
of  live-oak,  where  it  was  confined  by  a  plank, 
nailed  over  the  aperture.  Then  it  was  taken 
in  a  canoe  to  the  centre  of  the  river,  where 
it  was  given  to  its  last  resting  -  place,  one 
hundred  feet  beneath  the  surface  of  the 
stream. 

Thus,  in  the  darkness  of  midnight,  in  a 
strange  land  and  surrounded  by  hostile 
savages,  with  the  dramatic  accessories  of 
a  torch-lighted  canoe,  hooded  priests,  and 
armored  cavaliers,  all  that  was  earthly  of 
Ferdinand  de  Soto  was  committed  to  the 
keeping  of  the  great  river  he  had  discovered. 
Above  his  burial-place  perpetually  roll  the 
waters  of  the  mighty  Mississippi,  and  if  the 
Indians  surmised  where  it  was,  at  least  they 
could  not  desecrate  the  remains  of  the  cav- 
alier who,  in  the  language  of  the  Inca  Gar- 
cilaso, "had  crossed  a  portion  of  the  con- 
tinent in  search  of  gold,  and  found  nothing 
so  remarkable  as  his  burial-place." 

They  were,  doubtless,  aware  of  what  had 
occurred,  and  the  cacique  of  Guachoya  asked 
for  De  Soto,  saying:  "What  has  been  done 
with  my  brother  and  lord,  the  governor?" 
277 


FERDINAND   DE   SOTO 

"Luis  de  Moscoso  replied  that  he  had 
ascended  into  the  skies,  as  he  had  done  on 
many  other  occasions ;  but  as  he  would  have 
to  be  detained  there  some  time,  he  had  left 
him  in  his  stead.  The  chief,  thinking  within 
himself  that  he  was  dead,  ordered  two  well- 
proportioned  young  men  to  be  brought,  say- 
ing that  it  was  the  usage  of  his  country, 
when  any  lord  died,  to  kill  some  persons  of 
inferior  rank,  who  should  accompany  and 
serve  him  on  the  way;  and  he  told  him  to 
command  their  heads  to  be  struck  off,  that 
they  might  go  accordingly  to  attend  his  friend 
and  master. 

"  Then  Moscoso  rejoined,  that  the  govern- 
or was  not  dead,  but  only  gone  into  the 
heavens,  having  taken  with  him  of  his  sol- 
diers sufficient  number  for  his  needs ;  and  he 
besought  him  to  let  those  Indians  go,  and 
from  that  time  forward  not  to  follow  so  evil 
a  practice.  So  they  were  presently  ordered 
to  be  let  loose,  that  they  might  return  to 
their  homes;  but  one  of  them  refused  to 
leave,  alleging  that  he  did  not  wish  to  remain 
in  the  power  of  one  who,  without  cause,  had 
condemned  him  to  die,  and  that  he  desired 
to  serve  the  one  who  had  saved  his  life,  so 
long  as  he  should  live." 
278 


LAST    DAYS   OF    DE    SOTO 

The  departed  commander's  pitiful  state 
was  shown  when,  Moscoso  having  ordered  a 
sale  of  his  property  by  public  outcry,  it  was 
found  to  consist  solely  of  two  male  and 
three  female  slaves,  three  horses  with  their 
trappings,  and  seven  hundred  swine.  These 
last  had  wonderfully  increased,  from  the 
survivors  of  the  many  vicissitudes  to  which 
they  had  been  exposed,  and  had  been 
jealously  safeguarded  by  De  Soto,  who 
knew  their  value  as  affording  sustenance  in 
the  extremity  of  famine.  Bought  by  the 
soldiers  at  two  hundred  crowns  apiece  (to 
be  paid  for  when  they  should  have  the 
money),  henceforth,  says  one  of  their  num- 
ber, they  lived  on  pork  so  long  as  it  last- 
ed, having  previously  passed  two  or  three 
months  at  a  time  without  tasting  meat  of 
any  sort. 

While  the  life-story  of  Ferdinand  de  Soto 
ends  with  his  burial  beneath  the  waters  of  the 
Mississippi,  yet  it  may  be  naturally  assumed 
that  the  reader,  having  followed  his  fortunes 
so  long,  will  be  interested  in  the  fate  of  those 
with  whom  he  was  intimately  associated  on 
the  terrible  journey.  Many  had  looked  for- 
ward to  the  death  of  their  commander  as 
likely  to  afford  them  opportunity  to  depart 
279 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

for  Cuba,  but  at  a  council  of  war  called  by 
Moscoso  it  was  decided  to  press  on  westward 
in  search  of  Mexico.  Moscoso  proved  him- 
self a  very  incapable  commander,  and  during 
the  year  that  followed  led  his  men  on  a 
wearisome  and  aimless  journey,  that  finally 
terminated  at  or  near  the  place  where  De 
Soto  died. 

They  had  marched  over  many  hundred 
miles  of  new  territory,  and  left  behind  them 
ghastly  traces  of  their  wanderings,  in  the 
corpses  of  soldiers  who  had  fallen  or  been 
slain  by  the  way  in  conflicts  with  the  savages. 
Wheresoever  the  Spaniards  had  passed,  the 
country  lay  devastated,  and  it  was  but  a 
haggard,  wretched,  and  famine-stricken  rem- 
nant of  the  original  company  that  finally 
arrived  at  Guachoya  and  viewed  there,  with 
many  a  sad  foreboding,  the  place  where  the 
governor,  De  Soto,  had  died. 

One  by  one  the  cavaliers  with  whom  we 
became  acquainted  on  the  march  through 
Florida  had  dropped  from  the  ranks,  among 
the  most  prominent  being  Nuno  de  Tobar, 
who  (as  doubtless  the  reader  will  recall)  had 
incurred  his  commander's  displeasure  by  his 
betrayal  of  the  lovely  Leonora.  He  had 
done  everything  in  his  power  to  placate  the 
280 


LAST    DAYS    OF    DE    SOTO 

incensed  governor,  and  during  the  long 
period  of  their  journeyings  together  had 
borne  himself  like  a  hero  in  every  battle  and 
skirmish ;  but  De  Soto  passed  away  without 
showing  any  signs  of  relenting  towards  the 
unfortunate  Nuno  de  Tobar. 

The  winter  of  1542-1543  was  passed  in 
comparative  comfort,  for  the  caciques  of  the 
country  had  become  aware  of  the  intention 
of  the  Spaniards  to  depart,  and,  overjoyed 
at  the  prospect,  hastened  to  supply  provi- 
sions of  every  sort.  But  the  building  of  the 
brigantines  was  a  long  and  tedious  process, 
for  there  was  only  one  ship-carpenter  in  the 
army,  and  material  for  their  construction 
was  scarce.  Nails  and  bolts  were  made  from 
every  scrap  of  iron  obtainable :  from  the  man- 
acles of  the  Indian  captives,  then  perforce 
set  free ;  from  the  troopers'  bits  and  stirrups, 
disused  musket  -  barrels  rendered  inefficient 
by  the  lack  of  ammunition,  and  sword-blades 
that  had  been  injured  beyond  repair.  The 
Indians  gave  their  services  for  the  cutting  of 
timber  and  bearing  it  from  the  forests  to  the 
river-bank;  but  it  was  not  until  July  2,  1543, 
that  the  wretched  remains  of  De  Soto's  once- 
noble  army,  then  reduced  to  less  than  three 
hundred  and  fifty  men,  embarked  upon  the 
281 


FERDINAND   DE    SOTO 

bosom  of  the  great  river  which,  as  the  Span- 
iards supposed,  would  take  them  to  the  sea, 
upon  whose  shores  they  might  find  a  haven 
of  safety. 

The  cumbersome  craft  were  difficult  to 
manage,  for  the  currents  of  the  Mississippi 
were  swift  and  dangerous;  but  they  en- 
countered yet  another  peril,  in  vast  fleets  of 
canoes  manned  with  Indian  warriors  by  the 
hostile  cacique  Quigaltanqui — the  same  who 
had  sent  the  defiant  message  to  De  Soto 
when  on  his  bed  of  death.  Instead  of  en- 
deavoring to  placate  this  chieftain,  Moscoso 
had  further  exasperated  him  by  cutting  off 
the  hands  of  thirty  spies,  whom  he  had 
captured  in  his  camp,  and  sent  home  thus 
horribly  mutilated.  Wrought  to  the  highest 
pitch  of  fury,  the  cacique  vowed  revenge, 
and  soon  after  the  Spanish  fleet  put  down  the 
river  it  was  assailed  by  thousands  of  savages, 
whose  naked  skins  were  hideously  painted, 
and  who  proved  fatally  expert  with  bow  and 
arrow,  as  well  as  with  spear  and  war-club. 
It  was  not  long  before  all  but  eight  of  the 
horses  were  killed  and  nearly  every  Spaniard 
wounded,  while  on  the  fourth  day  of  the  voy- 
age four  boats  were  cut  off  from  the  little 
fleet  and  forty-eight  soldiers  met  death  by 
282 


LAST   DAYS    OF  DE   SOTO 

drowning  or  by  Indian  arrows.  A  few  days 
later  the  hapless  Spaniards  were  compelled 
to  witness  the  extermination  of  their  beloved 
horses,  which  they  had  landed  for  the  purpose 
of  foraging  on  shore.  Left  to  their  cruel 
fate — for  their  owners  barely  escaped  with 
their  lives — the  poor  beasts  were  felled  by 
savages  with  war-clubs  and  transfixed  with 
arrows,  while  the  troopers  looked  on  and 
wept,  in  futile  rage  and  grief.  As  all  their 
powder  had  been  consumed  in  the  fire  at 
Mauvila,  the  few  arquebuses  remaining  were 
useless,  and  the  harried  Spaniards  could  only 
defend  themselves  with  their  cross-bows,  for 
once  in  their  experience  enduring  greater 
losses  than  they  inflicted  upon  the  enemy. 
This  unequal  combat  went  on  during  sixteen 
days,  until  at  last,  their  vengeance  sated,  the 
savages  gave  over  the  pursuit  and  departed 
up  the  river,  amid  howls  and  songs  of  victory. 
Shortly  after,  the  unfortunate  voyagers 
sighted  the  sea ;  but  their  troubles  were  then 
by  no  means  ended,  for  they  were  without 
chart,  compass,  pilot,  or  skilled  navigator, 
and  knew  not  whether  to  push  out  boldly 
into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  or  follow  the  wind- 
ings of  the  coast.  The  former  course  was 
adopted,  but  a  gale  of  twenty-six  hours' 
283 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 

duration  separated  and  nearly  wrecked  the 
frail  brigan tines,  which  after  that  were  kept 
in  near  to  shore.  They  voyaged  so  slowly 
that  nearly  two  months  were  consumed  in 
reaching  a  Mexican  port  now  known  as  Tam- 
pico,  the  inhabitants  of  which  received  the 
starving  survivors  with  generous  hospitality. 
Clad  in  the  skins  of  wild  beasts,  with  hair  and 
beards  untrimmed,  the  once- vaunted  soldiers 
of  Florida  were  objects  of  wonder  and  com- 
miseration. After  having  been  supplied  with 
food  and  clothing  by  the  Mexicans,  they 
were  sent  overland  to  the  city  of  Mexico, 
where  the  viceroy  and  the  commonalty  vied 
in  showing  them  kindness  and  attention. 

Few  of  these  Floridian  soldiers  ever  re- 
turned to  Spain  or  to  Cuba,  but  ended  their 
days  in  Mexico  or  Peru,  where  they  enlisted 
for  military  service.  The  viceroy  of  Mexico 
offered  to  equip  another  expedition  and  send 
them  back  to  colonize  the  country  which  at 
a  distance  and  in  retrospection,  appeared  to 
them  fruitful  and  promising;  but  when  put 
to  the  test  they  shrank  from  the  fatigues  and 
dangers  to  which  they  might  be  exposed. 

They  had  reached  Mexico  about  the  mid- 
dle of  September,  1543.  A  month  later  one 
of  several  expeditions,  sent  out  by  Dona 
284 


LAST    DAYS    OF    DE    SOTO 

Isabel  from  Havana,  arrived  at  Vera  Cruz 
and  learned  for  the  first  time  of  the  disas- 
ters that  had  overtaken  De  So  to.  It  was 
commanded  by  those  loyal  cavaliers  Diego 
Maldonado  and  Gomez  Arias,  who  (as  the 
reader  will  remember)  had  been  despatched 
by  De  Soto  to  Cuba  for  reinforcements  and 
supplies.  They  faithfully  fulfilled  their  re- 
spective missions,  and  returned  to  Pensacola, 
where  they  waited  long  and  anxiously  in  the 
harbor,  daily  expecting  their  commander  to 
appear.  When  finally  convinced  that  fur- 
ther waiting  was  in  vain,  they  searched  the 
harbors  east  and  west  for  many  leagues,  then 
returned  to  Cuba,  whence,  the  next  summer, 
they  were  again  sent  to  Florida  by  the  anx- 
ious and  loyal  wife  of  De  Soto. 

A  second  time  they  returned,  after  an 
equally  fruitless  quest,  and  the  next  season 
sailed  again,  cruising  around  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  as  far  as  Vera  Cruz,  where  at  last 
they  learned  of  what  had  happened.  The 
sorrowful  tidings  which  they  carried  back  to 
Dona  Isabel,  still  waiting  and  hoping  in 
Havana,  overwhelmed  her  so  completely  that 
she  soon  after  sank  broken-hearted  to  her 
grave. 


INDEX 


ACHALAQUE,  province  of, 
192. 

Achese,  province,  159. 

Acoste,  cacique  of,  202, 
204,  207. 

Acuera,  Indian  cacique, 
112,  113. 

Adelantado,  title  given  De 
Soto,  78. 

Alibamo,  Indian  strong- 
hold, 247. 

Anasco,  Juan  de,  soldier, 
84,  142,  143,  145,  146, 
149,  181,  184,  246,  270. 

Anhayca,  Apalachee  capi- 
tal, 142  (see  map). 

Anilco,  province  of,  268, 
269. 

Apalachee  tribe  of  Ind- 
ians, 133  et  seq,;  chap, 
x. 

Arias,  Gomez,  Spanish  sol- 
dier, 145,  147;  seeks  De 
Soto,  285. 

Arkansas  River  crossed  by 
De  Soto,  269. 

Atahuallpa,  Inca  of  Peru, 
i,  2,  60-62. 

Atapaha,  Floridian  prov- 
ince, 159. 

Aut6,  bay  of,  144,  151. 

Autiamque  province,  265, 
266. 


Avila,  Don  Pedro  Alias  de 
(Pedrarias),  14-18,  21, 
23,  24,  31,  42;  murders 
De  Cordova,  44;  de- 
nounced by  De  Soto,  47; 
atrocities  and  death  of, 

Ayllon,  Vasquez  de,  law- 
yer-explorer, 182. 

BADAJOZ,  castle  of,  Spain, 
72. 

Balboa,  Vasco  Nunez  de, 
17,  19. 

Barbacoa,  Indian  corn- 
crib,  171. 

Bison,  or  buffalo,  seen, 
172. 

Blood-hound,  a  sagacious, 
116. 

Bobadilla,  Isabel  de.  See 
Isabel,  and  Dona. 

CACICA,  female  cacique, 
163,  176,  180;  generos- 
ity of,  189;  made  cap- 
tive, 190;  escape  of  the, 
193. 

Calderon,  Captain  Pedro, 
103,  149. 

Capachiqui,  in  Florida, 159. 

Capafi,  cacique,  140,  152- 


287 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 


Capaha,     Indian    cacique, 

257-260,  262. 
Casqui ,  Lord  ,253,256^  seq. 
Cherokees,  country  of  the, 

192. 
Chickasaws,     country     of 

the,  238. 

Child  of  the  sun,  4,  271. 
Choctaws,  land  of  the,  208. 
Chucagua,  Indian  name  of 

Mississippi  River,  248. 
Codro,  astrologer,  50-56. 
Cofachiqui,  cacica's  prov- 
ince, 163. 

Cofaqui,  cacique  of,  163. 
Coosa  River,  the,  202,  205. 
Cordova,  Fernando  de,  42- 

44- 
Cross  raised  by  De  Soto, 

254- 

DE  CORDOVA,  FERDINAND. 
See  Cordova. 

De  Soto,  Ferdinand.  See 
Soto. 

Diaz,  Bernal,  44. 

Dogs,  native,  as  food  sup- 
ply, 161. 

Don  Pedro.     See  Avila. 

Dona  Isabel.  See  Isabel 
de  Bobadilla. 

ESPINOSA,  CAPTAIN,  32,  35, 

36. 
Espiritu  Santo,  bay  of,  90; 

original  Spanish  name  of 

Mississippi  River. 

FALCONET,  the,  abandoned, 
162. 

"Fidalgo  "  of  Elvas,  Portu- 
guese narrator,  157, 177, 
207,  249,  271,  273. 


Florida,  first  landing  in, 
74;  De  Soto  governor 
of,  77;  lands  in,  90; 
Indians  of,  92. 

GALLEGOS,  BALTASAR  DE, 
soldier,  89,  99,  220;  con- 
soles De  Soto,  274. 

Gaytan,  Juan,  defection  of, 
262. 

Gold,  gossip  about,  157, 
158. 

Gomera,  the  governor  of, 
80;  daughter  of,  80,  81. 

Gonzales,  Gil,  42-44. 

Granada,  in  Nicaragua,  43. 

Guachoya,  town  and  chief 
of,  269,  270,  280. 

HAMMOCK  bridges,  109. 
Havana,    departure    from, 

8p. 

Hidalgnia  of  Spain,  14. 
Hillsboro  River,  109. 

ICHIAHA,  cacique  of,  196. 

Inca  Garcilaso,  the,  277. 

Indian  princess,  176  et  seq. 

Indians,  of  Nicaragua,  31; 
of  Florida,  92,  93,  95,  96; 
fierce  warriors  of  the, 
112;  different  tribes,  113; 
battles  with,  125-128, 
135-140;  of  Apalachee, 
133,  142;  sufferings  of, 
159;  sepulchres  of,  188; 
treachery  of,  220,  239; 
painted  like  devils,  245; 
intrepidity  of,  247;  on 
the  Mississippi,  250,  253; 
languages  of  the,  267; 
revenge  themselves  upon 
the  Spaniards,  282. 


288 


INDEX 


Irving,  Theodore,  The  Con- 
quest of  Florida,  237, 
248. 

Isabel  de  Bobadilla,  16,  17, 
19,  22;  married  to  De 
Soto,  71;  Dona,  remains 
in  Cuba,  89;  receives 
tidings  from  De  Soto, 
147;  dies  broken-heart- 
ed, 285. 

JERES  DE  LOS  CABALLEROS, 
13.  14- 

"  KNIGHT  OF  LA  MANCHA," 
the,  105. 

LEON,  town  in  Nicaragua, 
43;  Ponce  de,  74,  77. 

Leonora,  daughter  of  Span- 
ish governor,  81. 

MALDONADO,  DIEGO,  150, 
214,  230;  searches  for 
De  Soto,  285. 

Mauvila  (or  Mobile),  Ind- 
ian stronghold,  211-213; 
battle  of,  chapter  xvi. 

Mexico,  arrival  of  De  Soto's 
men  in,  284. 

Mississippi  River,  first 
glimpse  of,  by  De  Soto, 
248,  252. 

Mocoso,  Indian  chief,  in 
Florida,  97,  98,  107, 
146. 

Moscoso,  Luis  de,  Spanish 
captain,  no,  219,  239, 
275,  276,  278,  280,  282. 

Moya,  Marchioness  of,  15. 

NARVAEZ,  PANFILO  DE,  74, 
75;  relics  of,  144. 


OCALI,     Indian    town    of, 

114;   cacique  of,  117. 
Ochile,  Indian  town,  118. 
Ochuse,  bay  of  Pensacola, 

i$o. 
Ortiz,  Juan,  interpreter,  98, 

99,  101;  death  of,  266. 
Osachile,    village   of,    131, 

132. 

Osorio,  Don  Antonio,  243. 
Oviedo,  historian,  235,  243. 

PANAMA    founded   by  Pe- 

drarias,  27. 
Paracoxi,  Indian  chief,  107, 

108. 
Patofa,  cacique,  164,  165, 

169,  173,  174. 
Pearls,  vast  quantities  of, 

1 80;   fishing  for,  199. 
Pedrarias.     See  Avila. 
Pensacola  Bay  discovered, 

1 50 ;  distance  from  Mau- 
vila, 230. 
Perico,  Indian  interpreter, 

166,  167. 
Pizarro,      Francisco      and 

brothers,  6;    Hernando, 

7.  9- 

Ponce,  Hernan,  85,  88. 
Porcallo,  Vasco,  82,  83,  92, 

105,  107. 

QUIGALTANQUI,  cacique  of, 

270,  271,  282. 
Quizquiz,      Indian     town, 

249;   cacique  of,  250. 

RANJEL,  RODRIGO,  De 
Soto's  secretary,  98,  181, 
229,  243. 

Rio  Grande,  Great  River — 
Mississippi,  248. 


289 


FERDINAND    DE    SOTO 


Rios,  Don  Pedro  de  los, 
42. 

ST.  MARKS  BAY  discov- 
ered, 144. 

"  Secret  of  the  strait, "the, 
48,49. 

Sioux  Indians,  mention  of, 

253- 

Soto,  Ferdinand  de,  ad- 
vent of,  1-4;  early  life 
of,  13-20;  sails  for  Amer- 
ica, 2 1 ;  fights  a  duel,  27 ; 
in  Nicaragua,  30-44;  de- 
nes Pedrarias,  47;  ex- 
plores Nicaragua,  49 ; 
avenges  death  of  friend, 
5  7 ;  friend  of  the  Inca,  6 1 , 
63;  campaign  in  Peru, 
60  et  seq.;  denounces 
Pizarrp,  63;  attacks 
Peruvians,  65;  enters 
Cuzco,  67;  returns  to 
Spain,  69;  enriched  by 
plunder,  70;  marries 
Isabel  de  Bobadilla,  71; 
adelantado  of  Florida, 
77;  sails  for  Cuba,  79; 
arrives  at  Santiago,  81; 
at  Havana,  84;  lands  in 
Florida,  90;  on  the 
march,  107  et  seq.;  is 
wounded  by  Indian,  127 ; 
burns  captive  at  stake, 
1 68;  takes  a  princess 
captive,  190;  in  a  terri- 
ble battle,  221,  226; 
severely  wounded,  222; 
loses  his  nephews  in 
fight,  222;  strange  de- 
termination of,  234;  in 
burning  village,  240;  in 
great  extremity,  242; 


again  wounded,  247 ;  ar- 
rives at  Mississippi  River, 
247;  not  its  discoverer, 
248;  mutilates  Indians, 
264;  last  days  of,  273; 
bids  farewell  to  com- 
panions, 274;  death  of, 
275;  burial  of  beneath 
the  Mississippi,  276. 

Suwanee  River,  130;  Old 
Town,  132. 

Swamp,  battle  of  the,  135- 
138. 

TALIMICO,  tombs  of,  182, 
188. 

Talise,  Tuscaloosa's  town, 
210. 

Tallahassee,  site  of,  144. 

Tampa  Bay — Espiritu  San- 
to, 95. 

Tampico,  Spaniards  arrive 
at,  284. 

Terron,  Juan,  and  his 
pearls,  194. 

Toalli,     aboriginal     town, 

JS9- 

Tobar,  Nufio  de,  cavalier, 
80,  81;  death  of,  280.  - 

Tula,  Indian  town  of,  264. 

Tuscaloosa,  mighty  war- 
rior, 208,  212;  encoun- 
ter with,  215,  228. 

UCITA,  Chief,  maltreated 
by  Narvaez,  94,  96. 

Uracca,  Nicaraguan  Ind- 
ian, 31,  40. 

Utiangue,  or  Autiamque, 
266. 


VACA,  CABEZA  DE,  75,  76, 
78. 


290 


INDEX 


Valenzuela,  Geronimo,  54, 


,  province  of,  31. 
cacique     and 


Veragua,  p 
Vitachuco, 

province  of,  118,  128. 

WARRIOR,    the    Black,    or 
Tuscaloosa,  208. 


XERES  DE  LOS  CABALLEROS, 
14- 

YAZOO  RIVER,  247. 
Yemassees      of      Florida, 


ZEBACOS  islands,  55. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


NOV181959 

0011151986 


SEP  19 


irm  L9-42m-8,'49(B5573)444 


Qber  - 


25    Ferdinand  de 
7012  Soto. 


iisjTSfffl 


JUl  1  5 !949 


S7012 


